Data and Research January 7, 2019

Employers Developing Strategies to Manage Employee Retirement Timing

Employers have a dual concern about losing skilled workers and increasing benefit costs from employees who retire too late. 

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Although 83% of employers have a significant number of employees at or nearing retirement, only 25% say they are effectively timing their workers’ retirement, according to the 2018 Longer Working Careers Survey by Willis Towers Watson.

While 81% of employers say that managing the timing of their employees’ retirement is an important business issue, only 53% say they have a good understanding of when their employees will retire.

Eighty percent of employers view older employees as crucial to their success. Fifty-four percent believe the loss of talent due to retiring workers over the next five years will be more significant than other labor market risks. Forty-eight percent worry about the loss of organization-specific knowledge, and 50% expect to have difficulty finding workers with similar knowledge and skills.

“Many employers say they are not managing the retirement of their older workers effectively,” says Alan Glickstein, managing director, retirement, at Willis Towers Watson. “With growing numbers of workers either planning to retire or delaying their retirement, the stakes are high. As a result, employers are rethinking how they manage their workers retirement patterns and are taking action.”

Forty-nine percent of employers think that delayed retirements over the next five years will increase benefits costs. Forty-one percent are worried that they will increase wage and salary costs, and 37% are concerned that workers who stay on past normal retirement age will block promotions for younger employees.

To cope with this, employers have either adopted or plan to adopt one or more of the following strategies over the next few years:

  • Offering financial wellbeing programs to older employees approaching retirement.
  • Offering flexible employment, such as the possibility of changing positions (offered by 30% of employers) and the ability to work part time (27%).
  • Permitting retired employees who are collecting benefits to work as consultants or contingent workers (49%).
  • Allowing workers to take a phased retirement (9%).
“Older workers are clearly a sought-after resource, and our research shows there is a definite supply of employees who would like to work into their 60s and beyond,” says Lauren Hock, director, retirement at Willis Towers Watson. “Many employers misunderstand their employees’ motivations and circumstances for retiring. Therefore, they do not have a grasp on their likely retirement patterns and are vulnerable to the  workforce issues associated with employees who linger for financial reasons but have lower engagement and productivity. We believe employers can effectively draw on the expertise of older workers, and this opportunity will require careful management.”
Reader Responses January 7, 2019

SURVEY SAYS: Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

In past NewsDash readers surveys, respondents have reported that they failed in keeping New Year’s resolutions or that they are “a waste of time.”

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Last week, I asked NewsDash readers, “Have you made New Year’s resolutions for 2019,” “Were you successful in keeping resolutions you made last year, and are you making any financial resolutions this year?”

 

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The majority (56.7%) of responding readers have not made New Year’s resolutions for 2019, while 43.3% have. Of those who made New Year’s resolutions in 2018, only 20% said they were successful in keeping them all year, and 80% were not.

 

Among those who made financial resolutions for 2019, 42.9% resolved to save more in general, while 28.6% resolved to save more for retirement and 9.5% to build an emergency savings. One third said they will cut back on spending and more than one-quarter each (28.6%) said they plan to pay off debt and to use the services of a financial adviser. On the other hand, 4.8% indicated they’ve resolved to be less frugal and spend more.

 

Again this year, there were many comments from those who chose to leave them saying New Year’s resolutions were not a good idea or a waste of time. Still, a couple of people shared successes in keeping resolutions, and some shared advice for making changes, without calling them resolutions. Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who said, “My resolution is to be more positive. There is so much negativity in the world today any positive thought or words will help…I hope,” with an honorable mention to the reader who said, “Read NewsDash every day!”

 

A big thank you to all who responded to the survey!

 

Verbatim

Why is it that folks go to sleep on New Year’s Eve and think that they are going to magically change who they are on January 1? They do it every year, and every year it fails.

I make resolutions throughout the year, as new circumstances arise. Some people may benefit from reflecting on their lives at the beginning of each year and resolving to do certain things differently. For me, it works better to do this continually throughout the year.

Read NewsDash every day!

I don’t really make New Year’s resolutions because they just set me up to fail since I know I won’t be able to keep it

Last year I began putting nearly half of my paycheck in my 401(k) and bank savings. I’m a few years away from retirement and plan to continue saving at this rate.

I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions in years, as I am constantly trying to improve myself. However, this year, I recommitted to doing several things daily that I should be doing anyway.

I never make New Year’s resolutions. To really change something in your life is a process of small steps over a period of time. New Year’s resolutions do nothing more than give you a reason to continue negative self-talk that undermines you achieving your goals.

Even if I haven’t managed to keep resolutions for the entire year, I’ve made progress and am in a better position than the prior year. It might take 10 years, but eventually that original resolution will be met!

My 2018 resolution was to live a more meaningful life and to continue moving in a positive direction. This involved making little lifestyle, health, and relational “pivots” rather than specific daily commitments that often lapse after a few months. Reflecting on my progress in 2018 has caused me to renew this resolution for 2019.

I feel that it is good to go into a new year with a resolution, it starts the year off with a positive go-getter attitude…whether you keep it or not, doesn’t really matter.

Although I should join the rest of the world in making weight loss and fitness goals, I’m very pleased that I don’t need financial resolutions because we have been good at saving, living debt-free, etc., for decades. I wish I could make retirement a resolution for this year, but I’m too young!

Making New Year’s resolution is waste of time. Having will power and taking one day at a time is the way to go.

My resolution is to be more positive. There is so much negativity in the world today any positive thought or words will help…I hope.

I’m pretty good at keeping my fitness resolutions, but work stress often derails my nutrition resolutions. And every time I try to give up cussing, I never it make it past my morning commute.

I set goals for 2019 but I do not call them resolutions. I’ll be competing in the Mrs. International pageant in July 2019, my goals align with fitness and community involvement to compete and win the national title.

C’mon! Who keeps those? It’s less stressful not to make any!

I have a long-term to do list (lose weight, etc.) that I never complete. I haven’t found New Year’s resolutions to be helpful.

My consistently made, and consistently kept, New Year’s resolution…is to not make any New Year’s resolutions.

 

 

NOTE: Responses reflect the opinions of individual readers and not necessarily the stance of Strategic Insight or its affiliates.

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