Content by Anthony Dockrill

This week I saw a well-known broadcaster celebrating a milestone in the industry. It was a large one, or should I say a long one, and it got me thinking: is this a good thing? Should we actually celebrate someone who refused to log off, hang up the headphones and go off merrily into retirement? Surely longevity should be celebrated? Another milestone achieved, another middle finger to the Grim Reaper.

But what about the broadcaster who is not on air today because this person chose to hang on and on?

Nothing lasts forever. Well, plastic does more or less, but humans’ time on earth is fleeting. There’s not much I can do about this, and there’s not much your HR department can do about it either. And to be clear, I’m not having a go at people in their 50s and 60s. The question I’m asking is: is it a good thing to be working on and on into your 70s and 80s… and even 90s?

Now I know these things aren’t simple. Some people are working on because they can’t afford to retire, or maybe they’re volunteering their time or mentoring, or maybe they’re working at a station with an older demographic and it’s important that these listeners hear themselves reflected back, although I can find fault with the last point, as I, like many people, am always happy to listen to people who are younger than ourselves.

There are also a couple of people I can think of on air who clearly bring a particular set of skills to the equation (and age can be a net positive in this situation), and in these very particular cases they can’t easily or simply be replaced. An example that comes to mind is David Marr, who replaced Phillip Adams.

So it’s complicated.

But there are people in the industry and on air simply because they can’t or won’t let it go.

This is not a great state of affairs. It stops innovation and it stops the development of talent, and it’s simply unfair to people who are working hard and unable to go to the next level because other people who can and should retire are doing essentially a victory lap in the studio.

It’s true that work is, for many people, the most rewarding part of their lives. It’s the part they find the most meaning and structure in. Everyone reading this will be bristling, as family and community are clearly more important than work, but let’s be fair, kids grow up and have their own lives, and community is something we all find in different places, including work.

So I don’t judge people who turn all their energies towards work. However, it’s on all of us to do well in our careers and give as much as we get, but nothing lasts forever. If you can’t retire because your life outside of work doesn’t interest you or won’t give you the validation you need, you need to try a lot harder and not stay on and on.

It needs to be said: it’s totally none of my business when someone chooses to retire, but I do think it’s important to shake the tree every so often.

So.

If the idea of leaving work fills you with anxiety, you really need to develop a hobby, join a club, volunteer in your local community….and if none of that works, start a podcast. Find meaning outside of work.

My real advice to these people is: spend your super and see the world, and give all the ageing millennials and burnt-out Gen Xers a go in the chair.

Anthony Dockrill is a Digital Producer at Pod Jam and the former Program Director of 2SER FM Sydney.