In 2011, the UK government abolished the national default retirement age. While this could support extended working lives and promote individual choice, it could also be a neoliberal ‘ploy’ to individualise the risks of old age. The question, then, is what impact does the removal of mandatory retirement have in practice: does it help to promote individual choice and autonomy? Or does it lead to work intensification and the individualisation of the risks of demographic change? Or both, perhaps simultaneously? Drawing on original qualitative and quantitative empirical data from UK and USA universities, this article considers the impact of removing mandatory retirement ages on individual workers in higher education. It argues that legal reform may have prompted or encouraged work intensification in universities, including through an increased focus and use of performance management. Thus, in practice, the consequences of removing retirement ages for individuals are mixed.

2011年，英国政府废除了国家默认退休年龄。虽然这可以延长工作寿命并促进个人选择，但它也可以是新自由主义的“手段”，可以个性化老年风险。那么问题是，取消强制性退休实际上有什么影响：这是否有助于促进个人选择和自治？还是导致工作激增和人口变化风险的个性化？还是两者，也许同时？本文利用来自英国和美国大学的原始定性和定量经验数据，考虑了取消法定退休年龄对高等教育中个体工人的影响。它认为，法律改革可能促使或鼓励了大学的工作密集化，包括通过更加关注和使用绩效管理。因此，实际上，消除个人退休年龄的后果是混杂的。