At what age would you stop working?

James and me were discussing about retirement. We were stuck at what age to stop working as both of us are workaholics. The living cost in Singapore is pretty high. So at what age can we stop working so that we can live a comfortable life? Even if we can, would we stop working?

I know that in Singapore, our retirement age is 62. But isn’t 62 too young to stop? That’s my personal take of course. If I am doing something I like, I would go beyond 62. I have always felt that if one stops working, all sort of illnesses will follow, like dementia and all. So working actually helps keep a healthy mind.

Then… can someone above 62 still work and stay in their line? I was curious about it so I went to google about re-employment in Singapore. As long as we are still fit to work, the employers can still re-employ us and this will be assessed annually until one reaches 65. Mmmm.. what if they are still fit after 65? Some may still have kids who are still schooling and all… What if they can’t work anymore? And what if we lived till the age of 90?

*Average Singaporean’s life expectancy is between 80 – 85 years of age. Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/singapore-ranks-world-no-4-life-expectancy-20130527

85 – 65 = 20

Twenty more years to go! Wow, mind-blowing right?! It’s almost like 60 is the new 40, right?

What are we going to survive with? What if we do not have any kids to provide for us? Are subsidies sufficient? And even if we have money, what are we going to do with all the time in our hands? If we twiddle thumbs that long, our thumbs will end up like prunes. No, actually WE will become prunes, haha!

I became more and more interested in the topic so I went to my Dad and asked “At what age do you think you would stop working?” He answered “well, maybe after 60, I’ll drive a taxi around at my own pace and make a small living with your mother.”

My dad also shared that NTUC is trying to push for the extension of re-employment to 67.

Sixty-seven might still be a little too early for some. But nonetheless, better than stopping work at 62, no?

So even though the current retirement age in Singapore is 62, there is still re-employment for us to consider if we want to carry on working even after 62. I believe my dad would seek re-employment as well.

For me, I would want my parents to continue to work, not only for the financial part, but to keep themselves in touch with the work force and the world. Working keeps one healthy as they would constantly have to be on-the-go and stay active rather than sloughing at home in front of the television screen. More importantly, they would feel less lonely when all of us are out.

I like what Deputy Labour Chief Heng Chee How said “Why turn someone into a dependent prematurely?” This is just too true….

Source: http://www.singapolitics.sg/supperclub/heng-chee-how-why-turn-someone-dependant-prematurely

Let me share with you a story about a happy elderly worker. Here is Auntie Pauline.

Pauline is currently 67 this year and she is single. She used to work in an assembly line at a ball-bearing factory for over 10 years but was retrenched due to the downturn of the industry 🙁

Now, she is currently happily working as a supervisor for the cleaning team at Singapore Changi Airport. The entire team has around 40 people and together with her Senior Supervisor, Auntie Pauline manages a team of 10 cleaners. As a Supervisor, Auntie Pauline does not do much of the cleaning or physical cleaning but more of supervision where she she ensures that the right cleaning equipment and tools are made available to the cleaners, and also conducts check for the area she is assigned to.

Auntie Pauline is on permanent on the morning shift where she works from 7am to 3pm. Wah, 7am is sooooo… early!!

“How did she do it?” I wondered.

Whoa, she wakes up at 4am every morning and leaves house to Lakeside MRT at 4.40am. Since the journey from the west to the east is quite a distance, she would take the opposite direction to Joo Koon so that she can get a seat at the first station and reach the airport at about 6.50am. This clever aunty here sets her alarm so that she won’t miss her stop. So cute!

Auntie Pauline earns a monthly salary of $1,600 per month which is a comfortable amount since she does not have dependents. Although she now lives with her god-sister in the west, she has applied a small flat of her own. The flat is expected to complete it by next year, and Auntie Pauline is really really looking forward to a home she can truly call her own.

Auntie Pauline loves learning new things. Before she joined her current company, she was working for another cleaning company for three years. But the previous company was not as good as the current one, and they did not give her any chance to go for training.

But but but Auntie Pauline is not one to be deterred. Even though the old company did not arrange for her to attend any training, she had gone to apply for courses on her own. She was taking English lessons at e2i when she saw that there are cleaning courses! Since she is in the cleaning business, she believes she should learn as much as she can, so she signed up for the Environmental Cleaning WSQ course and paid for the courses out of her own pocket :’) She, has already completed all 7 modules!

Way to go, Auntie Pauline!

More recently, under the new company, they have also sent her for a Certificate in Service Profession and even computing course! Of course, Auntie Pauline is super happy!

In her free time, Auntie Pauline likes to watch TV programmes and she also goes on holidays. In fact, she’d just come back from a trip to China with her friends. Life is not bad for her. Her days start and end early, and she has ample time to rest after her work. And she definitely has time for her fave TV shows in the evening before going to bed.

I asked Auntie Pauline about her retirement plans. She said she is prepared financially, and has no problem supporting herself. But mentally, she is not prepared and she does not want to retire yet. She believes strongly in continuing to work to keep herself active and to be relevant to the world. She is not looking forward to the day when she stops working.
She believes in keeping herself happy and not to stress herself with small things. In her own words, 工作主要是要做得开心。

She is grateful that she is still contributing actively to the workforce, and she hopes that she will be given the choice and chance to work, just like what Mr Heng Chee How had said. When I was talking to her, I can feel how genuinely happy Auntie Pauline is with her current lifestyle. Yup, she is definitely one happy mature worker! I hope to be as happy and positive as she is when I’m in my 60s!

So yes, I would say…. Give the mature workers a choice. Do not take away their chance to work. Looking at the elderly like my dad and people like Auntie Pauline, I can see how some people may want to continue working in or even beyond their 60s. And, if still able and willing to work, why not?

Come my time, I too wish that I will have a choice and chance to work:)