Part-time Retirement

A new workplace survey from Canada reports that seniors may be willing to stay on the job a bit longer—if the benefits are right.

In that country, unemployment is at an all-time low (clearly, they know something we don’t) and employers are scrambling to keep good workers happy. While some Canadians are delaying retirement because they feel they might not have enough money, many would like to keep working in order to remain active and social.

The caveat is that those surveyed feel entitled to a more flexible arrangement and better benefits. Sixty percent of workers said Extended health care benefits is the top priority, followed by flexible work hours (47%), having a guaranteed salary (34%) and a gradual reduction of work hours over time retirement process (24%). They also want an average of six weeks of vacation per year. Working on a contract basis post-retirement is also attractive to 26% of workers.

These numbers point to a “have your cake and eat it too” mentality. People should be able to work as long as they like, but these seem like lofty expectations even for a loyal employee. Are workers entitled to this much, or should people simply set a retirement date and move on? [Tradingmarkets.com]