Meaningful work throughout life
Accountant Ilmi Hirvonen is a long time professional in her occupation. She has a working experience of over 45 years. She is an active and thorough employee who could have retired at the beginning of March 2007. However, as a person who loves her work and is used to working, she will continue her career – “if her health permits” - until the age of 65 years.
During her career Ilmi has seen changes and development in the trade and in society: Two monetary reforms, currency change in 1963 and the transfer to Euro, have required utmost accuracy. Transfer from hand made accounting, weekly pay days and bagging salary money, through Tayloriks board and card accounting all the way to computer based accounting and electric information technology has required learning and adapting capability and willingness. Ilmi has worked part of her career as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneur-like attitude and work ethic have been evident in her work throughout her life. For the last ten years she has worked for the same employer in “a nice place to work”.
Ilmi remembers her career as mostly positive. Nice fellow workers and meaningful work are her best memories. In addition, she appreciates her “wonderful clients – apart from few exceptions”. Ilmi sees her career choice to be a right one. She has never considered changing to a new line of work. The feeling that the clients trust her is very rewarding to her and she will miss the interaction with her clients and colleagues when she retires.
Negative memories from her career are mostly from her entrepreneur period. Then she as an employer had to deal with finding competent substitutes for sick-leaves and child-care leaves, coordination between work life and family life and having own leaves. While working as an employee she did not regard same issues as a problem.
Ilmi recalls the periodical rush due to the nature of accounting business as a negative memory. However, new technology has improved the situation and she feels that working overtime was much more common twenty years ago. Transfer to computer technology has made working easier by reducing manual tasks and finding solutions with software. Education and training in information technology has been adequately available for her.
While working for the local government, Ilmi often wondered the differences in work ethic between private and public sector. Working hours were from eight to four; half an hour before four her co-workers started to gather their equipment and leave tasks unfinished. Ilmi herself was used to finishing a job before leaving regardless of the office hours. Although it was not understood by her co-workers, she thought that it was easier to finish a job and start a new one next morning.
Ilmi has not seen her aging as a problem. She has always been supported by her supervisor and colleagues. She does not think that shortened working hours or part-time job would be suitable for her: “some people (no-one in this work place though) have said to me that why don’t I start working part-time. I don’t want a part-time job because it decreases the meaning of the work. It would change the nature of work since you are not present all the time”. Ilmi’s opinion about bonus vacation is: “It’s difficult for me to even take all the actual vacations. I am happy for getting the normal pay. Though, it is good to have vacations in reserve when I need them.
According to Ilmi the health issues of aging do not affect her working. She has rheumatoid arthritis but she is able to work with her hands if they are not otherwise strained. “And the doctor said I have to choose between working and restoration because my hands will not endure both”. Ilmi has never had shoulder pains or wrist pains.
Considering the present society, Ilmi does not understands employers who fire experienced – even under 50 years old – employees. She thinks that her age group comprises good and responsible workers. Their children are already grown so there will be no absences due to childcare. Employers should merely appreciate the experience and commitment these workers have. Employers should also appreciate workers of all ages thus enabling everybody to do work that is meaningful to them. “…cause then you have the eagerness to do it”.
Ilmi thinks that in the training of aging people (f.ex. in information technology) it is important to find a balance between theoretical education and practical training in suitable portions. Learning new things becomes slower and more difficult when you become older. Similarly, in order to transfer the silent knowledge of aged workers younger person should be appointed early enough for learning.
“I try not to think of the retirement, since it makes me feel sad. Just the thought of leaving the work is so difficult that I feel like crying”, says Ilmi, but also admits that she will find things to do even when she is retired. There will be more time for her hobbies such as restoration, sewing, walking her dog, spectator sports and especially for Finnish baseball game – not to mention spending time with her grandchild. Already when she was a child she was used to work hard and since then the meaning of the work has been the most important thing for her. It is important that she has been able to have a job that she loves. As in Ilmi’s words: “I have liked it. All these years”.
