Employers in Singapore urged to foster age-friendly workplaces

Employers across Singapore are being urged to take proactive steps in fostering an age-friendly workplaces amid growing calls to tap on older talents as employees.

"We agree senior workers are a valuable part of our workforce, and it is heartening that many wish to upgrade their skills and continue working past retirement age," said Tan Wei Long, Director of the Workplace Policy and Strategy Division at the Ministry of Manpower, in a forum reply.

"The tripartite partners encourage employers to proactively plan ahead for their workforce needs, upskilling their workforce early, and redesigning jobs where necessary."

Tan made the remarks following letters calling on the government to tap on older workers' wealth of experience and to do more to get retirees back in the workforce. One of the letters also encouraged the creation of opportunities and removal of barriers that prevent life-long employment learning.

Structured Career Planning

According to Tan, the Singapore National Employers Federation has workshops on Structured Career Planning (SCP) that can help employers understand their senior workers' career plans and address skills gap to better prepare them for re-employment.

"Employers can tap the Part-Time Re-employment Grant when implementing SCP and other age-inclusive workplace practices," Tan said in the reply. "Employers who wish to redesign jobs to access a wider range of workers can leverage the Support for Job Redesign under Productivity Solutions Grant."

For employees, the director said they can participate in reskilling programmes to move into new occupations or sectors.

"The government will continue working closely with tripartite partners, employers, and workers to create a more age-inclusive workplace for our seniors," Tan said.

Efforts for age-friendly workplaces

Since 2022, over 90% of eligible resident employees seeking continued employment have been offered re-employment opportunities, according to Tan. In 2021, more than nine in 10 senior workers who were re-employed in the same job did not face cuts to their basic wages and benefits.

Singapore has previously increased the retirement and re-employment ages to 65 and 70 respectively by 2030 to allow more senior workers to continue working and provide employers with a larger pool for talent.

The state's Retirement and Re-employment Act was also implemented to protect senior workers by preventing age-based dismissals before retirement age and mandating re-employment opportunities for eligible senior workers, according to Tan.

"The upcoming Workplace Fairness Legislation will also strengthen protections against age discrimination at the workplace," he said.