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99% of Singapore's older workers have been offered re-employment

The number of employers in Singapore who have actively re-hired older workers has increased "significantly" over the past nine years.

Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, told Parliament today the employment rate of older residents aged 55 to 64 has increased from 47% in June 2004, to 65% in June 2013.

In the private sector, 99% of local employees who turned 62 in the year ending June 2013 were also offered re-employment.

The Retirement and Re-employment Act, which came into effect in 2012, protects older workers from being dismissed on the grounds of age below age 62, and from unfair denial of re-employment from age 62 up to 65.

"The Tripartite Guidelines on Re-employment of Older Workers give employers some flexibility in re-employing their older workers," said Khor.

"For example, employers can re-employ employees with some modifications on re-negotiated terms. Where employers are unable to offer re-employment to eligible employees, they should offer such employees a one-off Employment Assistance Payment.

"In the unfortunate event where retrenchments are necessary, employers should carry out retrenchment responsibly and in consultation with the union if the company is unionised."

Khor also said the government has introduced several incentives for companies to continue re-hiring older workers, such as the WorkPro funding to help employers redesign jobs and work environments to adapt to an older workforce, and the Special Employment Credit and Workfare Income Supplement, which aims to support employers and employees to raise the employability of older, low-wage Singaporeans.

Image: Shutterstock 

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