By Shefali Rekhi

Business development manager Chandran Suppiah is used to a fast-paced life that sees him zipping in and out of countries to clinch deals.

He is 61, but retirement, which is technically due next year, is not on his mind.

'I feel 50. I'm in a business where relationships are important and I've built them over decades,' said Mr Chandran of his contacts in the region and the value he can bring to his employer - American firm 3M Unitek.

'Besides, working gives me a sense of purpose, some stress... that will be good for me.'

Like him, there are many others in their 60s and 70s who want to stay on the payroll.

Given the financial security it brings and the feel-good factor that comes with coping with challenges at work, they want to continue even if the opportunities may not be stacked in their favour.

Singapore data shows that the current employment rate for those in the 55-64 age category is 57 per cent.

But prospects for older workers got a strong boost last week when the Manpower Ministry released draft guidelines for companies to offer re-employment for those nearing 62.

To be legislated in three years, the guidelines make it easier for companies to offer contracts of between one and three years.

Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong highlighted the necessity, sending a reminder that in two decades, nearly 20 per cent of Singapore residents will be 65 or older.

'The sooner companies put in place the process and systems for re-employment, the better positioned they will be to meet the challenges ahead,' he said.

Listing a four-stage process that could be established, the guidelines suggest that firms should consider pre-retirement planning and re-employment consultation; job arrangements for re-employment; adjustments to wages and benefits; and an employment assistance payment (EAP) as a last resort.

The guidelines are not a surprise, given that years of groundwork have been put in place. Still, the Government, unions, management and workers are aware that a change in the mindset towards employing those in their silver years will take time.

As Straits Times reader Tan Siang Eng said in a letter to the Forum page last week: 'I am 59 and I am experiencing the same discouraging questions and remarks from potential employers.

'The often-pointed interviews go like this: 'So you have no more housing and car mortgages to service. Your children are all grown up now. You are now a free man. But this job calls for hard work. You can't take this job to pass your time'.'

Mr Alexander Melchers, chairman of the Tripartite Implementation Workgroup (TIWG) and vice-president, Singapore National Employers Federation, said initial reactions to the draft guidelines suggest 'employers have been receptive'.

Still, he said, his top priority is to garner 1,000 employers 'to commit and implement policies for re-employment early', ahead of legislation in 2012.

Mr Tan Peng Heng, president of Singapore Industrial and Services Employees' Union, noted about 10 per cent of employers fall in the really-good category in implementing the guidelines.

Nearly 70 per cent would be in the middle category and would do the minimum to keep to the law.

'Our challenge would be the remaining 20 per cent who would exploit the loopholes,' he said.

A key area of contention, he added, could be the EAP. It gives companies the discretion to pay retiring workers between one month's and one year's pay.

'This is a very big gap and opens up the possibility for dispute and negotiation. Still, the guidelines are better than none at all.'

To be fair, corporate giants and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have initiated schemes giving work options to older staff, incorporating at times their demands for flexibility.

Parkway Hospitals Singapore, which runs the East Shore, Gleneagles and Mount Elizabeth hospitals, for instance, re-employs retiring staff on renewable contracts of one to three years.

They continue to enjoy previous salaries and perks, including annual increment, bonus and even promotion.

'Working with older workers has its benefits,' said Ms Yue Yin Mun, strategic accounts director with global human resource consultancy Adecco.

'They're punctual, committed, dedicated and take pride in their work. Besides, unlike younger people, you'll find them at their workplace early on Monday mornings and Friday evenings as well,' she said.

This article was first published in The New Paper.