Engaging Your Older Workers

If this is seen as a problem to you, it could be seen as an opportunity to your competitors. If you have thought that older workers are not able to value-add to your companies – you might want to reconsider.

Job redesign and salary reduction should be the least priority when they hit the age of re-employment. Instead, you should change your perspective and understand how they can value add.

• Older workers can demonstrate ability to support the companies with their industry with their business knowledges and experiences over the accumulated years of service.
• These workers can also serve as advisor and mentor to the younger workers so that the knowledge can be carried forward which also helps to close any information gaps.

If you are still not convinced, let me share this with you. The ageing population in Singapore is targeted to grow to a large number of 900,000 in the year 2030.

Companies will need to invest efforts to constantly motivate and engage them to value add to your companies.

It is a win-win as senior individuals are constantly looking to work beyond their retirement age to stay socially engaged and mentally active.

These are just ways to engage them:

Re-training/ Skills Upgrade

• Certain technical or hard skills may have been improved due to advanced technology. Giving the older workers the opportunities in training will ensure that they feel level with the younger workers.
• Recognize the effort of older workers sharing the knowledge, skills and competencies is important to the continuous improvement of the companies. 

Appropriate Work Environment

• Ensure that work safety is well taken care of for all ages, e.g. work-at-height limits 
• Offer wider ranges of work flexibility – work hours, job sharing, work-from-home 
• Ensure that hiring and employee engagement activities are suitable for all ages 
• Promote health and well-being activities to keep them engaged

Plan ahead and engage the workers today! This effort on your end is an investment for the group of people who are ever ready to continuously contribute to your company’s growth with your
employment opportunity you have provided for them.

Reference:
http://population.sg/key-challenges/#.V3-CVrh95Ag

Changes from MOM (Re-employment)

One of the most recent changes to the employment act that has been implemented with effect from 1st July 2017, is the increase in retirement age from 65 to 67. This recent change has come a long way since 2014.

Since 2014, it has been recommended by the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers to increase the re-employment age. This was recommended to allow older workers to continuously contribute, and to support themselves in their old age.  The intention is that older workers come with them a wealth of experiences, skills and knowledge, which will be able to add value to Organizations. 

Interestingly enough, the legal provision which allows a wage cut to employees above 60 have also been eliminated. 

Before 1st July 2017, the Singapore Government will continuously support employers recognise the value of older employees. Organizations who voluntarily re-employ workers above 65 years old will be offered Special Employment Credit (SEC). The SEC allows employers to enjoy an additional offset of up to 3% of the employee’s salary. 

To help the older workers adapt, Organizations should implement plans and be flexible to the change in job scope or even redeployment for workers up to 65 years of old. These should be properly discussed and communicated to prevent future disputes. 

Companies should already have in place plans and work scope for workers up to 65. With this new implementation to go beyond 65, employers have to adapt flexibility to provide more employment options such as flexible-work arrangements, job modifications, re-deployment to other sectors. These should also be properly discussed with workers to prevent disputes