...the Zimmer frame?
For those of you living in the UK you will have seen yesterdays headlines in the papers about workers having to wait until they are 75 before they can retire.
At a time when most UK workers are having to contribute more and more to their pensions in order to receive less when retirement finally arrives, you can imagine how this impacted upon conversations in the workplace.
I work where there is a serious age demographic problem as the employers decided a number of years ago to 'downsize' by 'natural wastage' and put a block on recruitment. This has now been amended with a number of recruitment exercises to bring in younger folk but the bulk of the workforce is still nearer to retirement than not.
Or so we thought...
We already had the joy of having to wait until our late 60's before we could retire but now the indication is that it will change to the mid 70's - or if you read the detail closely - you could NEED to work until 81 to ensure a reasonable pension level.
Oh joy !
So in keeping with the way I started this post; you should have heard some of the conversations going on in our workplace...
"Will they be risk assessing the work area to ensure that Zimmer frames are parked safely so that they don't cause a trip hazard?"
"Would someone check with Estates as to how many mobility scooters can safely be carried in the lift at any one time."
"Anyone know the 'lead time' for the installation of chair lifts?"
(visions of the scene from "Gremlins" immediately sprang to mind)
"Will allowances be given for additional toilet breaks?"
All said very 'tongue-in-cheek' but it does make you think.
The upper age limit for employees was scrapped a few years ago here in the UK (there are some occupations where a retirement age is compulsory) and this is great for those folk who wanted to continue working, for whatever reason. However, we now have a large proportion of the Nation who are seeing the day that they can finally give up the early starts & long commutes disappearing into a haze somewhere in the future.
If I'm feeling despondent about all this, you can imagine how youngsters leaving school are feeling.....................................................
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6 comments:
dear lord!! I didn't see the news yesterday :( Looks like we shall just drop dead while working - We will be far too old to enjoy any retirement anyway !
It is absolutely crazy - most of us won't be fit to work to that stupid age if I'm brutally honest and it is maybe a time where we start making our feelings felt on a national level with MP's retiring on hefty pay outs and lump sums, not to mention the consultancies they do - angry doesn't come close! However, all your colleagues questions are exceptionally valid!
Love your cards below just been having a browse. Can you imagine working at that age, just ridiculous. We all deserve to enjoy some retirement . Tracy x
I'm with you on this, in my early fifties I should be only a few years away from retirement and feel conned by this government. As a teacher with a crazy workload I cannot see how it would be possible to carry on past sixty (I can't see me managing after 55), and goodness knows how long my poor children will have to work...although the government don't care about them as they perceive the younger generation as dispensable as many don't vote. They just want to look after their own.
All governments are just as bad IMHO..but the new laws are getting more and more ridiculous..and although the comments are tongue in cheek now.. they do have a relevance! Disgraceful!
How have I missed this? I didn't realise they'd changed retirement age
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