PSD to raise retirement, re-employment ages in 2021; more than 2,000 public officers to benefit

SINGAPORE — The Public Service Division (PSD) said on Monday (Aug 19) that it will raise the retirement and re-employment ages of its officers by one year to 63 and 68 respectively in July 2021, benefiting more than 2,000 employees.

The move, one year ahead of the national schedule outlined by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, will apply to public officers who turn 62 and 67 from Jul 1, 2021 to Jun 30, 2022.

Speaking at the annual National Day Rally on Sunday, Mr Lee announced the “gradual steps” that Singapore will take to raise the retirement age and re-employment age to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030.

This after the Government accepted the 22 recommendations put forward by a tripartite workgroup that has been studying the issue of older workers since last May.

The first age increase to 63 for retirement and 68 for re-employment will take place in 2022 but the Government, as a major employer, will take the lead by doing it one year earlier, Mr Lee had said.

In a statement on Monday, the PSD said it “strongly supports” the recommendations from the tripartite workgroup.

It will also step up efforts in various areas, as it recognises that legislative changes alone are “not sufficient” to help its officers achieve employment over a longer career, it added.

For instance to make work less physically demanding, the PSD said it will actively encourage and work with Ministries and public sector agencies to promote job redesign, such as through mechanisation.

Other plans include working with public sector agencies to develop a more diverse range of job options that include part-time work and flexible work arrangements.

It will also invest more in the skills upgrading of its officers, while enhancing efforts to help its officers manage transitions as they age.

These efforts will include a new foundational programme to prepare mature officers for life transitions. It will cover topics such as active ageing, health and mental well-being, and financial planning.

Mr Sanjeev Tiwari, general secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees, said the rise in retirement and re-employment ages is a “much-awaited good news” that will enable officers to remain employable longer with greater certainty.

“As such, the need for continuous up-skilling and re-skilling becomes even more important. Officers can look forward to greater deployment possibilities to take on new roles at various points in their careers,” he added.

PSD’s permanent secretary Loh Khum Yean said: “The Public Service will actively invest in providing new skills to our officers, throughout their careers with us, so that they can continually grow as individuals across more than one job in the public service and be able to serve Singapore and Singaporeans well.”

The public service is one of the largest employers in Singapore, hiring 145,000 people. CNA

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