Retirement Age, Hard to be Limited

According to Wikipedia Online Article, “retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely” (Anon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement). Retirement age depends on the regulation of the country, or disability of each people to continue working because of several reasons like illness, accident, and the type of work. The regulation of retirement age from country to country is different. Each country has its own standard of retirement age for its employees. In Indonesia, the retirement age is about 55 years old. It is different with United States of Amerika that has set the regulation for its citizens to retire at the age of 65 – 67. Meanwhile, in Singapore, people can work until they are 62 years old (Gultom, W. http://www.gultom.org/page5.html). From the fact above, I believe that it is hard to give maximum age of retirement because it is different from people to another. Many factors such as the kind of job, the skill of people, and the change of productivity age are influence it.

The kind of job can influence the retirement age of people. People which job is need much stamina and good physical condition at young have to retire earlier than people who work in government or education field. For example, athletes like badminton athlete and football athlete retire at 35 – 38 years old. It is happened because people have optimum stamina at the age of 20 – 30. When people step on 35 years old, their stamina and physical condition is worse, so many athletes retire at that age. It’s different with teachers and other civil worker who don’t need much stamina to do their work; they retire at age of 56 – 60 (Anon. http://www.unmiset.org/legal/IndonesianLaw/perpu/PP196040.htm). Meanwhile, art workers don’t have retirement age because they are long-life worker.

The skill of people can also encourage the retirement age of them. People who have good skill in working are probably have longer working time than other people who don’t do their work well. For example, many civil workers especially the head of department of government and the ministry that still qualify in working are given working time prolongation by the government until they are 65 – 70 years old (Andi. http://exuico.multiply.com/journal/item/9).

The change of productivity age will make the retirement age becomes different from time to time. Nowadays, the number of life-hoping that shows the healthy level of people always increases. This increasing makes the productivity age rising too, so the retirement age will be changed by government. Now in Indonesia, life-hoping is increasing from 66,2 to 70 years old. So at age of 60, somebody still in a good condition and has high productivity. It’s become one of reason why Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wants to rise the retirement age from 55 to 60 (Sila. http://www.indomedia.com/bpost/112006/26/depan/utama12.htm). It means that retirement age is depend on the productivity age and can change anytime.

In conclusion, it is hard to limit the retirement age. Many factors make the retirement age of each people is different. And it is better to let people work optimally until they cannot continue their career, but without side out the government regulation.

References:

Andi. (2006, November 24). Perpanjangan Kerja. [Online Article]. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://exuico.multiply.com/journal/item/9.

Anon. Undang – Undang Indonesia. [Online Article]. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.unmiset.org/legal/IndonesianLaw/perpu/PP196040.htm.

Anon. Retirement. [Online Article]. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement .

Gultom, W. (2007. March 12). Menikmati Masa Pensiun. [Online Article]. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.gultom.org/page5.html.

Sila. (2006, November 26). Batas Pensiun 60 Tahun. [Online Article]. Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.indomedia.com/bpost/112006/26/depan/utama12.htm.