1/09/2009
Keep seniors at work longer
Just a few years back, not very long ago actually, there was this 40ish CEO whose message was to get rid of the oldies and replace them with all the beautiful and fresh recruits. I was wondering where did he got this cock idea from? Creating jobs, getting people employed is a major issue and problem in any country. Only imbeciles will think of destroying jobs and getting rid of employees purely because of age.
Now working to death is the new mantra. Personally if I can afford it I will stop work and enjoy my life the way I want it. There are many great things to do in life than just working to keep once self fed, just to carry on living. Unfortunately many people are caught it this trap, to work to be alive, nothing more, nothing less.
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If a person has dependents to feed even at age 75, he/she would still continue working. No choice lah, unlike old days when parents can shove young teens out to work. I started working at 17 to help support the family. Then added in my own family. Worked like mad. My wife too. Children now grown with own families. Not dependent anymore. Instead support this lao hum ku and his lao boar with monthly allowance. We old farts are having a good life for $1000pm. Enough CPF to last 30years. Too much really. So why should we work?
Old folks cannot do menial work well. Cannot keyboard fast. Even his farts sound weak. So why waste supportive facilities getting old farts to work people's company to death and put strains on younger co-workers.
Around the world, all leaders are trying to push old folks back to work so that the economic-machine can work faster to generate more money-heaps for leaders to sit on and do their p.a.p. actions. These are the uncivilised people. What is the point of raising children to economic independence
then
proceed to plow on to bring about the death of our old bodies?
Our national leaders earn millions and are as uncivilised as Madoff. They don't know what is human and family.
So I choose to be DOG.
Call me Dog with joy, Redbean.
I agree with dog. The older guys know the value of saving for old age and are now reaping the benefits. Yes, they led simpler lives, no need to splash on new expensive gadgets during their younger days and they can now afford to retire happily, frugal at times, but at least they have little need to work until death. I worry for the younger ones, trying to keep up with so called 'progress', but at what cost?
hi dog and anonymous,
we are children of a different time. somehow because of the circumstances, we took it as part of our lives, never shirk our responsibilities to our parents and children. sandwich generation.
most of our contemporaries, educated or uneducated, saw it their duty to contribute towards the family and money to the parents. that was one of the key concern when we started to work.
today's generation is fortunate to think about the next holiday and where to go with their first pay checks. different mentality.
The Singapore govt is encouraging people to work pass their retirement age of 62. I think this is a good thing. Those who can afford to retire and enjoy their twilight years would do so anyway. They would have time to travel and play with their grand children. However, this provide the opportunity for those who cannot afford to retire to work on and earn their keep. Good idea.
I think more older workers may be prepared to continue working if they are paid much like younger workers doing the same job. The much lower salary seems to be the reason why older workers are shunning employment, if they can afford to. Employers will of course take advantage of the situation, since that ruling of lower pay for older workers had the full blessing of the Union and Govt.
Personally if I can afford it I will stop work and enjoy my life the way I want it. There are many great things to do in life than just working to keep once self fed, just to carry on living. Unfortunately many people are caught it this trap, to work to be alive, nothing more, nothing less.
Stopping work and doing the things you want is not disallowed, many people who had made hay while the sunshine do that. You reap what you sow, who is to be blamed when you missed the harvest, the weather and luck maybe. If you work hard and be thrifty in your youth and you will never have to work a single day in your old age.
Enjoying the work and forced to work have different connotations.
The Former is akin to, live to eat while the Latter is eat to live.
In any case, many Singaporeans have brought this situation upon themselves, for they were following the materialistic culture propagated by the Leadership all these years.
Time to come to our senses!
enacting laws to encourage keeping people employed longer is good.
the problem is that no one believes the govt's motive is so pure.
everyone feels they are trying to slowly push towards later withdrawal age etc.
lets hope we are proven wrong & that the pap still have a heart.
30 years ago i suggested a million bucks will be sufficient to live the rest of my. i was wrong unless i am frugal in my expenditure.
many of the baby boomers do not have much left in their cpfs. mostly sucked away by the high cost of livings, properties, medical bills, coes etc and of course bad investments.
those whose savings are not affected could still live quite comfortably. but many would have to downgrade or continue to work to live on.
for the baby boomers generation less than 20% are grads and diploma holders. this group should be able to move on without much difficulties. the 80% would have problem if they are going to live till 80 and more.
the opportunities for the baby boomers were enormous, they have first movers advantage in an ascending economy. many of those outside the 20% have made big bucks, as hairdressers, slimming frachisors, real estates, investors, manufactuers, impex intermediaries, kopi tiam owners, the list goes on. if you dont have it, it doesnt matter your educational level. on the same hand, those people who cannot get simple things done will bark up any tree to just relegate blame for the mess they found themselves in. this has been practised since the beginning of time.
this is quite true. many had a good ride when the economy continues to boom for the last 40 years. practically every trade is making roaring businesses.
why is there so many people crawling to the MPS to ask for help? discount the people hit by minibonds. they deserve it since they were blinded by greed. and why is the govt reacting as if the majority of the people are going into poverty? is the govt over reacting?
for the sake of the economy, and to pull the bluff from a rich population that has a lot of money to spare, the govt should continue to do what it does best, to keep the economy going and growth rate high, no charity, no handouts, more fee hikes etc etc.
actually you are very right anonymous. all the kpkb in cyberspace is only an act. no one is suffering and no one is anything near the poverty level. and for those who really are, they deserve to be there, losers and failures.
if you were born during the construction of the great wall, you will be estatic to have 2 full meals a day. if you were born in the mekong and lived through the warring period, you would be more accepting in your current station in life. notwithstanding your keen observations, pareto principles still apply, poverty is not just unique to singapore but high expectations are.
Keeping older people at work is reasonable only if they are at minimal still contributing to the better of the company. In civil service, there are so many older people above 60 and still working. I have seen some of them who are very forgetful and very very unproductive and they are Superscale payrolls. And people are talking behind their backs about their inability to contribute and yet still behaving like a 'king'. If there are some dignity left in each soul, they should leave the service and these people are well well prepared for retirement with the vast payroll they have been recieving for so long.
the idea of grandpa and grandma working is not very sound. some senior jobs which need the wisdom of the well educated olds are ok. other than that, jobs for grandpa and grandma are normally the slow and steady at your own pace type. under supervision, you can expect them to be pushed around or shouted at under a hot head.
it is better for the elders to live a life of leisure. our society must work towards such a goal and for those who enjoy what they are doing, let them be and be happy.
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