Manpower Minister Tan See Leng announced on Nov 1 that the retirement and re-employment ages will be eventually increased to 65 and 70 years old respectively by 2030 to support the mature workforce if they wish to continue working. This statutory retirement age is crucial as a safeguard to protect senior staff from being dismissed by employers due to age-discrimination, the minister emphasized.

Commencing from July 1, 2022, the retirement age will first be increased to 63 and the reemployment age raised to 68. This increase in statutory retirement and re-employment ages are in place to protect the continued employment of workers aged 55 years and above, totaling about 25 percent of the resident labour force as of 2020.

Employers to make adjustments to workplace policies and arrangements to support senior workers.
The authorities have introduced the $1.5 billion senior worker support package in 2020 to offset wages and additional employer CPF contributions for older workers. In response to the concerns raised by members of the parliament (MPs) to ensure employers fulfill their re-employment obligations and that the offers are fair, Minister Tan said that employers are highly recommended to adhere to the Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Employees. In particular, employers should engage staff at least 6 months prior to their retirement age and offer re-employment to eligible senior workers who are medically fit to perform any role within the organisation, not limited to the existing position. 95 percent of re-employed staff continue to enjoy the same wages and benefits in the same job as well, according to the manpower minister. 

There should also be job-redesign, part-time re-employment opportunities to create more age-friendly workplaces. However, the statutory retirement and re-employment ages also allow for older workers who wish to enjoy their retirement to do so.

4 tips on creating an age-friendly workplace 
Adopting the Tripartite Standard on age-friendly workplaces would set your organisation apart from other employers on official job search portals.

1) Adopting fair hiring practices
Hire based on merit--not age. You should train your recruitment staff in fair hiring practices and implement fair employment policies that do not discriminate against older workers. You could also state that a position is open to senior workers to support more job opportunities for mature applicants.

2) Advocating an age-friendly practices
Train your management staff on how to work more effectively with senior workers and advocate age-friendly practices. The management staff should be trained on how to manage generational differences within the organisation. There should also be a member of the senior management who advocates for age-friendly practices and measures and ensures that a fair performance management system with fair reward structures are in place.

3) Offering flexibility
Other than redesigning the job to make it easy, safe, and smart for your senior employees, offer flexibility to further support them as well. There could be flexibility regarding work timings, location, and tasks to support workers' autonomy and varied needs. Flexible work arrangements could also allow older workers to tap on their skills and experience while managing their personal commitments; this would help your business to save costs, enhance efficiency, retain talent while increasing engagement and productivity in the long run.

4) Investing in your senior staff
Invest in your senior staff’s wellbeing and offer suitable training and mentoring. There can be well-being initiatives such as fitness and sports activities, free health checkups, etc to cater to the needs of the mature employees. Workspaces should also be ergonomically friendly and safe so that your employees stay healthy for reduced healthcare costs and higher work productivity. There should also be opportunities for senior workers to access upskilling training programs to stay relevant and take on different roles in the workplace. Such training programs for mature staff would lead to better customer experience, higher employee retention, and enhanced employability and productivity. Younger workers could also pair up and do reverse mentoring with older employees to equip them with the necessary digital skills.

What are other age-friendly practices you would recommend to support senior workers for reemployment?