Nearly all local employees retiring in 2011 offered jobs beyond 62: MOM

SINGAPORE: Nearly all local employees in private establishments retiring in 2011 were offered employment beyond 62, with 79 per cent of private establishments having already put in place measures to allow their local employees to work beyond 62 in 2011, ahead of the implementation of the re-employment legislation in January 2012.

These are the key findings of a survey conducted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the last quarter of 2011.

Its Research and Statistics Department covered 3,200 private establishments, each with at least 25 employees. 90 per cent of the establishments responded.

MOM said on Friday that amid the tight labour market and tripartite efforts at promoting re-employment, 11,000 (97 per cent) of workers retiring in 2011 were offered employment beyond 62. 92 per cent (10,600 workers) accepted the offer.

64 per cent of those rehired continued working on their existing contracts, while 28 per cent were re-hired under a new contract, mostly with no change in their job scope.

On the company end, 79 per cent said they had implemented measures for their local employees to work beyond 62 in 2011, compared with 77 per cent in 2010.

They employed a large majority (88 per cent) of the local employees in the private sector, higher than the 85 per cent in 2010.

57 per cent allowed their employees to continue working on existing contracts, while 22 per cent offered re-employment.

MOM said larger establishments were more likely to offer re-employment than smaller establishments.

More locals were hired in establishments offering re-employment (50 per cent), while 38 per cent of establishments allowed them to continue on existing contracts.

89 per cent of private establishments offering re-employment indicated 12 months as the minimum duration of the re-employment contracts.

MOM said in line with tripartite guidelines, almost all (95 per cent) reported that the re-employment contracts were renewable up till the age of 65, as long as the employees continue to meet medical and work performance requirements.

More private establishments offering re-employment had engaged their retiring employees in re-employment consultation in 2011. 75 per cent had such a policy, compared with 61 per cent the year before.

36 per cent of private establishments had local employees who turned 62 in the year ending June 2011, involving some 11,500 local employees. This was an increase from 32 per cent and 9,900 local employees in 2010.