Firms set stage for employees to get a life after retirement

What do we do with our retirees is a question that is being taken seriously by companies in Hong Kong. Nowadays, firms are putting in extra resources to address the issue as it is part of the ever-growing corporate social responsibility programme.

Hong Kong has an ageing population and a higher life expectancy. Consequently, the government, society and corporations are paying greater attention to retirement.

Apart from providing steady financial support, companies are doing more to prepare their staff for retirement. Some firms are taking a flexible approach in handling staff retirement plans.

Nancy Chan, general manager, group human resources, human resource services at Jardine Matheson, said her company had been offering different choices for retirees over the past few years despite the mandatory retirement age on the contract.

'When we haven't found the right successor for a certain position, we will ask the employee to extend their retirement date and stay,' Ms Chan said during a panel discussion at last month's Corporate Social Responsibility Hong Kong Conference, hosted by the Hong Kong Council of Social Service.

'For some senior-level staff, we would hire them as consultants of the company after their retirement. We understand that we need to mentally prepare staff for retirement. We also provide financial management to help them handle their retirement fund.'