Booths supermarkets prepares older workers for retirement ‘Life audits’ weigh benefits of discontinuing work against carrying on Claire Churchard People Management Magazine 11th May 2009 Supermarket chain Booths has addressed the issue of variable retirement ages for staff by introducing a “life audit” pre-retirement course for staff aged 55 and older. The retailer says it prizes employees in their seventies, and even eighties, but also recognises there is a “younger, fitter and more forward-thinking” generation of preretirees that need support. The life audit offers information on finance, health and personal achievement, presenting the benefits of carrying on working weighed up against those of retirement. It is important to retain workers who exhibit good customer service, which is a skill valued by the retailer and older customers in particular, said HR director Diane Pickup. “We have no upper age limit, the diverse mix of age and skills is complementary and beneficial for customers. [Older workers] are more amenable to helping, they have made a conscious decision to enter work at that age and are enjoying it,” she said. She explained the course was brought in to give something back to people who have contributed to the business. Pickup was approached by course creators, Creative Academy’s Janet Harrison and Liz Faye from Palm Financial Care. She said she chose the course because it gives equal importance to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and diet as well as a positive and motivated outlook for the future. Harrison said: “We designed our programme to be proactive and empowering. We feel that it more accurately reflects the needs of today’s ‘younger’ and fitter generation of pre-retirees who still feel they have something to give.” Existing pre-retirement courses are outdated, reactive and probably put together many years ago when people were regarded as “old” when they retired, Harrison added. This perception was shown to be outdated by the Heyday campaign, which tried to stop a ruling allowing employers to force workers to take compulsory retirement at 65. While the ruling was upheld in October 2007, Pickup said Booths had “no intention” of bringing in compulsory retirement at 65. “We have lots of people that have retired from other jobs and come to work for us,” she added.
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Pre-retirement training: Ending on a high 26 October 2009 12:10 With an estimated 15 million UK workers set to retire in the next 20 years, employers have realised that setting employees' minds at rest about their retirement will make them more productive, loyal and committed. Georgina Fuller looks at the growing interest in pre-retirement training. Most of us already have a fair idea of how we'd like to spend our retirement, finances permitting. So what is pre-retirement training, and why is it necessary? Content removed
Sarita Godber, head of HR at London's Southbank Centre, which oversees the Royal Festival Hall and the Hayward Gallery, says employers must recognise that retirement is a significant life change, both emotionally and financially. "We offer pre-retirement support to anyone reaching retirement to help them make the transition to this new phase of life," she says. "This can take the form of workshops or one-toone support sessions covering everything from retirement planning to financial advice." Southbank also considers transition arrangements for staff approaching retirement, such as offering them the option of going part-time, and encourages people to bring their partners along to any preretirement sessions. Boosts morale Godber says the help they provide has clear benefits for them as an employer: "Not only does it help boost morale among the workforce, but it also contributes to our sense of valuing employees and recognising their worth at every stage. Employees leave with a positive sense of the organisation, which is really important to us." Content removed
Natalie Morgan, Molton Brown's HR director, believes the courses can help retention rates, and says that this is the first time the company has offered benefits tailored towards older staff. "People join a company and are provided with, perhaps, a pension scheme and income protection. They go through their entire work life cycle, and then at the end, they're shown the door. The retirement design courses solve that, inexpensively and effectively," she says. Courses are typically offered as part of an employee benefits package and take place over one to three days, with the option of ongoing support after retirement. Most courses cover all the key issues facing employees who may be about to retire. These include work options, health and wellbeing, financial and legal matters and the general impact of retirement on the retiree and their friends and family. Content removed
Ultimately, it's about looking after your staff, says Janet Harrison, head of development at consultancy Vision Republic. She believes that offering support to employees in their later years is good for both recruitment and the employer brand. "The company benefits from being identified as a value-driven organisation that looks after its people at all times – this generates a culture that people want to buy into. So you will have employees actively wanting to work for a company that provides great benefits," she says. Content removed
Pre-retirement training courses: what's on offer
Provider
Vision Republic
Content removed
Course
Topics covered
Cost
Average day rate Identifying core skills and ranges from ÂŁ1500 abilities, financial mapping One-day 'life audit' (minimum of 10 delefor the future and adapting gates) to ÂŁ3,000 for a to a new lifestyle bespoke course
Extras
Vision Republic also runs a 'success in retirement' session which includes self development/positive psychology/ creativity tools and techniques and a section on visualisation
Press release Encore Living February 2010 Once more.... with feeling Gone are the days of phrases like “if I only had my time again” and good riddance we say. Whilst headlines like ‘50 is the new 30’ can sometimes sound glib and rather meaningless, at least it is changing the mindset of people of any age in what to expect and how to behave in later life. The lines are blurring, people are just ‘younger’ and consequently the world is pretty much your oyster if you are contemplating what to do with your life, whether that is at 50 or 65.
Encore!
In fact with life expectancy being what it is, “having your time again” is almost guaranteed! Such is the ethos and drive behind a dynamic company called Encore Living. They help individuals work out what they would be best suited to doing which brings them the best chance of happiness and success. “Even people who can afford to retire still feel they want to do more with their lives” states Janet Harrison, co-founder of Encore Living. “Starting your own business, social enterprise, volunteering and further education are just some of the options we explore with people” she adds.
The antidote to pre-retirement seminars
The team behind Encore have been delivering inspiring and life changing courses to companies around the UK and know that what they offer is vastly different from the dull and dreary pre-retirement seminar. They work on the basis that everyone has a unique set of strengths, skills and passions and this is the key to lasting happiness and success. Their case studies are impressive and their new drive to offer services to the general public is timely. They aim to leave you shouting for more! For further information contact: Janet Harrison, Encore Living* m: 07793 749362 e: janet.harrison@thevisionrepublic.co.uk
*Encore Living is a trading style of The Vision Republic Agency Limited