On Monday (26 Oct), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) released a press statement detailing a series of recommendations by the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment (TWG-SE).
Building on the 2019 Tripartite Workgroup on Older Workers, which addressed concerns of statutory retirement and re-employment, these strategies focused on ensuring meaningful career longevity for senior workers.
As Singaporeans live longer lives and experience non-linear career trajectories, the recommendations aim to give older Singaporeans a range of options.
In an era of manpower constraints and technological change, TWG-SE also aims to allow employers to retain and leverage their strengths.
The TWG-SE was convened in July 2025 to review and refresh Singapore’s senior employment strategy.
Since then, it has consulted over 1,000 stakeholders. This includes employers, industry and union representatives, workers, HR professionals and academics.
The Alliance for Action on Empowering Multi-Stage Careers for Mature Workers (AfA-EMW) provided TWG-SE with valuable insights.
Under the AfA-EMW, 30 organisations ideated solutions on training and career guidance, job matching, alternative employment models and phased retirement.
These strategies have helped more than 1,600 senior workers, MOM said.
TWG-SE identified three key aspects of support senior workers need. They needed to remain employable, manage caregiving responsibilities, and build retirement adequacy.
As such, they recommended two complementary measures amid broader efforts to support senior workers.
These include navigating workforce transitions, strengthening human capital development capabilities, and improving workplace safety and health (WSH) outcomes.
The new Flexi-Load Programme (FLP) will be launched to support employers in creating and scaling up flexible work opportunities, such as part-time and fractional work.
The FLP will help offset transitional costs of developing and implementing flexi-load arrangements.
This includes additional HR and organisational resources needed to redesign jobs, systems and policies traditionally structured around full-time work.
The FLP will replace the existing Part-Time Re-employment Grant after it expires at the end of 2027.
Funding will be produced from the creation of additional flexi-load roles.
In addition, the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) will lead a new programme office, in collaboration with NTUC and SNEF.
The office seeks to help workers plan for career and skills transitions, and support employers in adopting more age-inclusive workforce practices.
Source: gov.sg
Another recommendation was to increase the Retirement Age (RA) from 64 to 65, and the Re-employment Age (REA) from 69 to 70, respectively, on 1 Jan 2029.
This pushes up the announcement a year earlier than planned.
The increase will support senior workers who wish to remain in the workforce beyond the statutory retirement age.
TWG-SE also proposed raising the minimum and maximum thresholds for recommended Employment Assistance Payment (EAP).
This will account for wage growth in recent years, providing meaningful financial support to workers who are not re-employed and navigating the job market.
To reduce the tax burden for seniors working beyond the RA and the REA, TWG-SE recommended enhancing the Earned Income Relief (EIR).
This increases their take-home salary, enabling senior workers to better enjoy the fruits of their labour.
They also suggested replacing the Senior Employment Credit (SEC), which expires in 2027, with a new Re-Employment Credit from 2028, to support hiring and retention of senior workers.
Source: Joseph Matthias via Unsplash
In particular, lower-wage seniors are a group that struggles to achieve income and retirement adequacy.
To ensure lower-wage senior workers remain employed, productive and financially secure, TWG-SE is looking to enhance the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) to supplement incomes and improve retirement adequacy.
A sixth recommendation is to update the Progressive Wage Credit Scheme (PWCS), providing employers with greater support to raise wages in a sustainable manner.
MOM said that the government was fully receptive to the recommendations. They will work closely with tripartite partners and industry stakeholders on implementing the ideas.
Further details of the various measures are expected in the first half of 2027.
More information is available at go.gov.sg/twg-se.
Also Read: S’pore retirement age going up to 64 from 1 July, Senior Employment Credit extended till 2027
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Featured image from MS News and Joseph Matthias via Pexels (right).