You should discuss returning to work after retirement, including any flexible working arrangements with your line manager, or your HR team, who should be able to refer you to your organisations local policy.

In the first instance, it may be helpful to have an informal exploratory conversation with your line manager, or someone in HR, about your preferences and how they may be accommodated. If you are not sure what flexible working patterns are possible you will find some examples in section 33 (link below). Any individual arrangements need to be balanced with service provision, patient experience and the work/ life balance of other team members

It may be best to discuss the options some time before you plan to retire, to enable you to explore all the options that might be open to you, in terms of when you plan to take your pension and when you would like to potentially return.

For more information please visit:

• NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook | NHS Employers
• Applying for your pension | NHSBSA
• Returning to work after you get your pension video and factsheet and returning to work following ill-health retirement video and factsheet

Flexible working requests (including flexible retirement) and subsequent discussions should cover hours, the role and level of pay.  Employers need to ensure that all requests are treated with due consideration, including any equality implications, and with an emphasis on exploring and mutually agreeing solutions.

Local partnerships should agree an appropriate policy process and supportive guidance for line managers which sets out how flexible working requests are managed.

For more information please visit:

• Section 33 balancing work and personal life: NHS Terms and Conditions of Service Handbook | NHS Employers

Joining the pension scheme again depends on which section of the scheme you belong to.  If you are a member of the 1995 Section of the Scheme and decide to retire, you cannot re-join the Scheme. You should think carefully particularly if your scheme membership is not very long

For more information please visit:

• Returning to work after you get your pension video and factsheet and returning to work following ill-health retirement video and factsheet
• Joining and re-joining the Scheme

This depends on which section of the Scheme you belong to.

If you belong to the 1995 section of the Scheme, a rule called ‘abatement’ may apply. The rule means if you earn more when your pension and re-employment earnings are added together, is more than the salary you earned before you retired, then your pension can be reduced.

However, for all members of the Pension Scheme regardless of which section they belong to, can return to work after their normal pension age and keep all their pension and re-employment earnings – the ‘abatement’ rule does not apply

For more information please visit:

• Pensioner hub
• Re-employment