Benefits October 29, 2010

Retirees Say No to Mandatory Retirement Age

October 29, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) – Eighty-five percent of retirees recently polled said there should be no mandatory retirement age.
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A news release from Extend Health, a Medicare exchange Web site, said that among the respondents in its poll of 431 retirees 65 years old or older who backed a mandatory retirement age, 42% say it should be 65; 31% say it should be 70; 21% say it should be 67; and the remaining 6% say it should be 72.

Seventeen percent of respondents report that despite having retired from a major U.S. corporation, they still earn income by working in a paying job or in their own business. Of those who still work, 62% report they do it to stay active and engaged; 24% say they work to make extra money; and 15% say they work to make ends meet.

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Despite the difficult economy, given their own personal financial situations, just 21% say they “retired too early” and 89% said their financial situation is good or fair.  

The survey was fielded October 20-27, 2010.

More information about the company is at http://www.extendhealth.com.

Products October 28, 2010

DoL Launches Veterans Hiring Toolkit for Employers

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According to a press release, the free toolkit is designed to “assist and educate employers who have made the proactive decision to include veterans and wounded warriors in their recruitment and hiring initiatives”.

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“Many employers have told us that they are interested in developing or enhancing a veterans hiring initiative for their company, but that they don’t know where to begin,” said Ray Jefferson, assistant secretary for the department’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, in making the announcement. “This toolkit was created with these employers in mind. It’s designed to simplify the process and put valuable, vetted resources at the employer’s fingertips.”

Developed as part of the department’s “America’s Heroes at Work” initiative, the Veterans Hiring Toolkit features a six-step process pinpointing helpful tools for a business to design a veterans hiring initiative. These steps include:

  • creating an educated and welcoming environment for veteran employees;
  • actively recruiting veterans, wounded warriors and military spouses;
  • learning how to accommodate qualified veterans and wounded warriors in the workplace; and
  • promoting an inclusive workplace to help retain veteran employees.

According to the DoL, the toolkit also helps employers navigate the plethora of resources for hiring veterans available to them.

The final section of the toolkit features a quick reference list of reputable online resources to help users find and welcome talented and skilled veterans into their companies. Examples include links to veterans employment service organizations, places to receive consultations on workplace accommodations and answers to common employer questions about hiring veterans and wounded warriors.

According to the DoL, whether users are looking to create a veterans hiring program from scratch or retool existing efforts, the toolkit can help them design and implement a customized initiative.

To access the toolkit, visit https://www.dol.gov/vets/ahaw/.

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