SINGAPORE: Nearly all local employees in private establishments retiring in 2011
were offered employment beyond 62.
79 per cent of private
establishments have also already put in place measures to allow their local
employees to work beyond 62 in 2011, ahead of the implementation of the
re-employment legislation in January 2012.
These are the key findings of a
survey conducted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the last quarter of 2011.
Its Research and Statistics
Department covered 3,200 private establishments, each with at least 25
employees. 90 per cent of the establishments responded.
MOM said on Friday that amid the
tight labour market and tripartite efforts at promoting re-employment, 11,000
(97 per cent) of workers retiring in 2011 were offered employment beyond 62. 92
per cent (10,600 workers) accepted the offer.
64 per cent of those rehired
continued working on their existing contracts, while 28 per cent were re-hired
under a new contract, mostly with no change in their job scope.
One company, F&B outlet Mr
Bean, currently has 28 workers aged 62 and above.
Operations director Thomas Koh
said that most older workers value their colleagues and work environment.
He said: "Some of them that
enjoy the work and they feel that they still can cope, a lot of them will
probably continue to stay back. I would say there isn't really a trigger factor
here that when they reach 62, they must retire. It's not something we see in
our company.
"To them what's more
important is that do they still enjoy working with the people here, the
environment. That actually have a more direct impact on whether they stayed
back with the company or not."
On the company end, 79 per cent
said they had implemented measures for their local employees to work beyond 62
in 2011, compared with 77 per cent in 2010.
They employed a large majority
(88 per cent) of the local employees in the private sector, higher than the 85
per cent in 2010.
57 per cent of all private
establishments allowed their employees to continue working on existing
contracts, while 22 per cent offered re-employment.
MOM said larger establishments
were more likely to offer re-employment than smaller establishments.
More locals were hired in
establishments offering re-employment (50 per cent), than in establishments
allowing continuation on existing contracts (38 per cent).
89 per cent of private
establishments offering re-employment indicated 12 months as the minimum
duration of the re-employment contracts.
MOM said in line with tripartite
guidelines, almost all (95 per cent) reported that the re-employment contracts
were renewable up till the age of 65, as long as the employees continue to meet
medical and work performance requirements.
More private establishments
offering re-employment had engaged their retiring employees in re-employment
consultation in 2011. 75 per cent had such a policy, compared with 61 per cent
the year before.
36 per cent of private establishments
had local employees who turned 62 in the year ending June 2011, involving some
11,500 local employees. This was an increase from 32 per cent and 9,900 local
employees in 2010.
Minister of State for Manpower
and National Development, Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, said he is glad to see private
establishments embracing the Silver Workforce, even before the Retirement and
Re-employment Act (RRA) comes into force.
He said in his blog on July 20
that he believes that this is due to the tight labour market, as well as
tripartite efforts to promote re-employment.
He said the tripartite partners
will press on with efforts to ensure that older workers are among those
Singaporeans with good jobs at the core of the workforce.
Mr Tan said Singapore's Silver
Workforce will increasingly become a valuable asset that companies should look
at preserving, as the country eases its reliance on foreign manpower and moves
towards a more-productivity-driven economy.
"Beyond the economic nuts
and bolts, it's also about doing right by our older Singaporeans," said Mr
Tan.
From this year, the baby boomers
- those born between 1947 and 1965 - will start to turn 65.
By 2030, there will be fewer
working-age citizens to support a growing elderly population.
Mr Tan said re-employment helps
ensure that healthy older workers who can and want to continue contributing to
their organisations are offered the opportunities to do so.
It helps them sustain a regular
income and build up their retirement adequacy, hence maintaining their dignity
as active and contributing members of society.
Mr Tan said: "Each of us can
play our part - be it as employer, employee or even a colleague. Make every
effort to stamp out ageist mindsets and treasure the cumulative knowledge and
experience of our Silver Workforce. Value and recognise their contributions,
and accord the respect they have both earned and deserved in bringing us where
we are today.
"Our attitudes towards our
elders and how we treat them reflect not just the values of the society we live
and work in now, but also represent the legacy we pass on to our
children."
-CNA/ac/ck
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