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Redefiners

Alan Roxborough: Not Ready To Retire

Alan Roxborough wasn't ready to retire. He considered his options, took a sabbatical for a few months and then returned to work on flexible hours. It's good for him and good for his employer, insurance firm Zurich.

Mandy Garner
Mandy Garner
Mandy Garner is a freelance journalist and editor. She was the former managing editor of WM People and is a communications officer at the University of Cambridge. She has experience working in a range of roles, including senior broadcast journalist at the BBC, former features editor of Times Higher Education and researcher for the writers organisation International PEN.

Life/Redefined shines a spotlight on inspirational Redefiners who prove that, as you enter your 50s and beyond, anything is possible.

Alan Roxborough was due to retire from his job at insurance firm Zurich at 60 last year, but he felt that he wasn’t quite ready after working 12 years for the company as an underwriter. Following a four-month sabbatical, Zurich agreed to him returning to work for one-and-a-half-days a week. That meant he could pursue hobbies outside of work, whilst also being able to contribute and be a part of his team.

Alan said: “When the time came to retire, I just didn’t feel quite ready. My manager was really great at working with me to make a plan for where I could go next within my role. We decided that I could use my knowledge and skills to work on a project basis. I’m now really enjoying working one-and-a-half days a week, whilst also enjoying gardening and many other hobbies I’ve never had time for.”

Alan is one of many part-time workers at Zurich which has embraced flexible hiring over the last few years. Since 2019, the company has almost quadrupled its part-time hires since advertising all roles as ‘flexible, part-time or job share’.

Zurich says the number of male part-time hires has also more than doubled since 2019. The company published its latest figures on part-time working ahead of new flexible working legislation coming into effect which allows people to request flexible work options from day one in a new job.

The figures include those showing part-time internal promotions have increased by 167% in the last two years and that the number of part-time female hires to a senior level more than doubled since 2019. Overall, in 2023, 13% of Zurich’s employees worked part-time. Across the board, there has been a 72% increase in applications per vacancy in the last five years and a 110% surge in applications from women.

Steve Collinson, Chief People Officer at Zurich UK, said: “Offering flexible and part-time working for all our roles advertised has had a real impact on attracting and recruiting top talent to our brand and it’s something we remain committed to.

“It’s great to see a consistently high number of people applying for our roles since 2019, and, even more so, we are proud to see that we are supporting peoples’ careers to grow and develop with internal promotions, whilst also accommodating their flexible working arrangements.”

55/Redefined acquired the assets of workingwise.co.uk, where this article was first published, on 2 April 2024.

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We are big believers that you should be able to design a life you love and not stick to a linear path, especially when it comes to your career choices. In fact, we'd go as far to say that the concept of retirement in its current form needs to be retired. Yes, that's right, there's no rulebook here!