Re-employment age extended for public sector; You can work till 67
Don't want to retire at 65? Starting next year, eligible officers working in the public sector will be able to be re-employed till age 67.
The Public Service Division stated in a press release on Thursday that the new arrangement will benefit about 800 officers turning 65 next year.
The division said it had studied the recommendations made by the Tripartite Committee on Employability of Older Workers on extending the re-employment age.
According to guidelines, "eligible officers who wish to continue working, can do so on the same job with the same pay and benefits, provided the job is available".
"Otherwise, agencies will help the officers to find suitable jobs within or outside their agency. If no jobs are available, agencies will offer a payment to help them make the adjustment while they look for another job," it stated.
The decision to extend the re-employment age was taken in consultation with ministries, statutory boards and public sector unions.
Tap on seniors’ wealth of knowledge
The Public Service, which has 139,000 officers, is one of the larger employers in Singapore.
At present, officers who reach the statutory retirement age of 62 are re-employed up to age 65.
But some public agencies are already voluntarily re-employing officers beyond age 65. There are currently about 1,000 such officers.
Mr James Wong, deputy secretary (policy) of the Public Service Division, said: "Re-employment allows the public service to continue tapping on our seniors’ wealth of knowledge and experience.
"It also allows our older colleagues to remain meaningfully engaged.
"In the Public Service Division, I am glad to work alongside several of our re-employed colleagues who, in addition to contributing to our work, also help to mentor and coach our younger officers."
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