How are you equipping your older employees for the next chapter of their lives?

At Davos in 2020, longevity appeared on the agenda for the very first time. The message was that due to longevity, many people will live, on average, ten years longer than their parents and twenty years longer than their grandparents. That is a major shift. In 2017, Professors' Lynda Gratton and Andrew Scott wrote a book called The 100-year Life. This book is worth reading to understand how longevity will impact individuals, companies and societies.

In South Africa, 92% of South Africans will not retire with enough money. This causes stress and in turn, health challenges. The current generation, close to the "pension rule" date need to be made aware about what more they can do to remain healthy, earning and living a purposeful life. Many may say that it is too late. That may have been true before, but if you can find new and interesting ways to keep earning, as well as building healthy habits, you may be entering what we like to call your "GIFT SEASON".

What does your company currently do to equip your older employees for this next season? I am aware that each company should create some time for understanding what investments these employees have, as well as some investment advice around Retirement Annuities. There may even have been some education around the new 'two pot" system. My question is have you done any "LIFE" planning for these groups. The money is important, but creating a program that helps your older employees to understand longevity and the options they can engage in to learn, work and earn for longer.

I will use myself as an example. In my mid-50's, I engaged with my financial planner to understand collectively what my financial assets looked like and how long these funds would last, if I started to draw down at 60. Like many, my life has had some valley and mountain top experiences. Divorced along the journey and spending some of my provident fund when I was retrenched, meant that I did not have enough savings. I made the decision to create work for myself and to simplify my life. Technology has been a gift for our generation, as work can be done, often from home and working for someone local or in another city, anywhere around the world. I am now three years off my 70th birthday, still earning and my investments have been left to grow for another ten years. When I buy retirement products, I will be ten years older with less years left. This has been a win-win scenario for my plan.

For more than fifteen years I have been trying to understand how longevity and technology are changing the landscape for South Africans. I have engaged with many international thought leaders, did a Retirement Life Coaching Course through an organisation in the USA and also a year at Gordon Institute of Business Science, trying to understand how these trends impact South Africans. I am the CEO of two companies in this space. Refirement Network and 50Plus-Skills.

My experiences are mirrored by many people I have trained and coached. We are building a community, where we can learn, serve and earn together. Our generous, skilled members have time to coach, mentor and become involved to create purpose for themselves and value to those they engage with. We believe that Age Diversity Benefits Economic Growth.

• How does your company engage and educate your older employees for their next season?
• How does succession planning happen in your organisation?
• Building a future with hope, rather than fear, with some clear goals and dreams is a possibility.
• Your company's reputation leaves with your employees? What does that look like currently?

You build the person, their family and the future of our nation.

We are stronger together.