Retirement Age

According to Wikipedia (www.wikipedia.org), retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. Retirement happens when someone reaches his retirement age, which is determined depends to the country, or disability to continue working because of several reason, such as illness, accident, and personal choice (because there are an adequate savings or pension funds).

Retirement age is different from country to country. The idea of fixed retirement age is being introduced in 19th and 20th century. Before that, there were no limit for workers to work, they usually do the job until death (Anon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement). The age is varies, but it is in range 55-70.
In Indonesia, there are three groups that classified employees (pegawai negeri sipil, in Indonesian) to his retirement age. Group I, retired at 65 for dean, researchers, and scientist (there is a term in Indonesian for this group, it is pangkat eselon I). Group II ( II), retired at 60 for lecturer, teacher, and sometimes scientist too. Last group, group III (it is for pangkat eselon III and IV), retired at 55 for common staff (Amirudin. www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/opini). That rule still available in 2005, until a year after, Indonesian's president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono claimed that retirement age for group III is raised 5 years, which become 60. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that it's a pity to retire the employee in 55. He thought in 55-60, somebody in that age is in the peak of maturity, wisdom, and lots of experiences. Raising the retirement age means increasing the quality of life in Indonesia, where its people have hope to life. The president said he is going to increase "the number of life-hoping" from 66 to 70, so at age 60, somebody still in a good condition.
Besides, at 55, some people are still enjoying their job and do it nicely (Wiguna. http://excuico.multiply.com/journal/item/9). In other case, people at 55 whose child still in school or in college, need money for pay the school. So, it is quite wise to raising the retirement age of employee.

What happens in one country is diferrent from others. While in Indonesia retirement age is in range 60-65, In United States, it is fixed 65 for retirement age and 62 for its earliest retirement age. In France, retirement age for teachers is thirty eight years after employment and age 50 for train engineers in its national railways. In India, retirement age is enhanced from 58 to 60 for public sector employees. In Malaysia, the retirement age is recently been raised from 55 to 56 (Anon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement). Retirement also include it supports fund and it's varies from country to country. Using that fund (also called pension), people who has retired can support his family or for support his own life.
However, retirement age listed above is commonly for employees. Politicians, lawyers, some scientists, television anchors, and professors still work at their 70. It may be considered for their research, wisdom, and knowledge they have is still used and lot of advantages if they still working. While actors, athletes, musicians, and models retire at their 30s. It is because they work with their body and the body has a limit for active, being in a very good condition for do somekind like catwalk, backhand force, running, standing, and many more that is done by those who retire at 30s. The conclusion is, in my opinion, retirement age is depending by its job, what kind of job that somebody does. It is quite wise to let people still work as long as that people do something related to his job that useful for mankind.

References
Retirement. (2008, May 13) [Online article]. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement

Amirudin. (2005, April 28). Usia Pensiun PNS. [Online article]. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www2.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0504/28/opini/1714614.htm

Wiguna, Oktamandjaya. (2006, November 24). Menaikkan Usia Produktif Hingga 60 Tahun. [Online article]. Retrieved May 14, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://exuico.multiply.com/journal/item/9


hawa firdausi. 16107072.

Glass-making Process

The presence of glass is quite essential in our daily life. Glass is basically a liquid, but soon after it appears to be solid. To make glass, there are several steps. First, prepare the raw materials which are sand, limestone, and soda, and the tools which are furnace, removable mould, rollers and connecting pipes. Next, combine all the materials in the furnace, and mixed them with certain composition. After that, the materials heated up in very high temperature so they melted and become easy to be printed in any kind of shape. There are two different pipe channels in the furnace. One of them is the channel to print the glass into the shape of a plate, and the other one has the shape of a bottle. Soon after, the liquid glass mixture will be directed into one of them. To make the glass plate-shaped, it will be placed in a plate-shaped hole and later it'll be pressed by a roller. To make the glass bottle shaped, it will be placed in a bottle-shaped hole, and then the air will be blown into the inside part of the mixture. The air will give pressure to the inside layer of the bottle-shaped mixture becomes soft and smooth surface. In a few hours, the glass mixture will be cooled down and become solid. And finally, it is ready to be used, just try to place your fries and coffee on it maybe.

Roos Haikal Ramadhan. 16107013

When You Should Retire?

For some people, normal retirement age is about 62 until 70 years. Early or late retirement will give you about the same total social security benefits over your lifetime (www.ssa.gov/retire2/). But I do think that you should retire at late 80 years old.

One of the reason is because anti-ageing advances could raise life expectancy by a year each year over the next two decades (http://news.bbc.co.uk). A longer life could mean a longer working life. With the increasing of life expectancy, people would think more about their financial condition. For example, if averagely people live until 80-90 years old, when they reach 60 years old, they would think about retirement because they know that their children would take care of them. But, if averagely people live until 120 years old, maybe they wouldn’t think about retirement when they reach 60 years old, cause they would think about how they feed themselves on the next 60 years.

Another reason is because work on your favorite things would decrease the level of stress. When you have a job and you enjoy it, you would do it as one of your bliss. You wouldn’t get bored in the home, cause you have something to think about and something to do.

And the last is at age 70-80 you getting more wise, and could be a great decision maker in your office. You have more experience and wisdom, so you could be the example for your junior.

It’s not just about the benefits you get from your retirement, but it is also about your bliss in your job.

References:
Retirement benefits by year of birth (Online Article): Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ssa.gov/retire2/agereduction.htm

Retirement age 'should reach 85' Article): Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4726300.stm

(Adiajeng Warastuti 16207003)

Retirement Age - Chastity E. 16207065

Retirement Age

According to www.thefreedictionary.com, retirement is a withdrawal from one's occupation, business, or office. There is a certain age at which a person should retire from his/her job. In my opinion, people should retire at the age of 65, especially those who do hard labor jobs.

First of all, people who do hard labor jobs are less able to continue to work as they reach their late 60's (Griffith 2005). This is due to the fact that people have decreasing mental abilities as they get older. It is harder for them to memorize or even concentrate. Besides, the elderly are no longer physically as fit as they used to be. They tend to get exhausted easily.

Secondly, having a younger retirement age means opening up the work field for the younger, presumably more capable generation. The younger ones are usually stronger and they may have better, more modern techniques in doing a certain jobs so maybe it is time to let them take over and show their abilities. With them taking over, maybe there will be more advantages the company can have, such as an increase in time efficiency and income.

In conclusion, people who have reached their late 60’s better reduce their working time so they can enjoy the rest of their days and let the younger ones have a chance to perform.

References:

Retirement (Online Article): Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/retirement

Dangerous Jobs and Retirement Age (Online Article): Retrieved May 11, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://irrational-woman.blogspot.com/2005/09/dangerous-jobs-and-retirement-age.html

Retirement On Appropriate Age

In 18 years age of my life without working experience, it will be difficult to imagine what would be a 50, 60 or even 70 years old people who have to stop working. I only could learn something from my family. I still have my grandmothers from both sides. They are now on their 80iest, but still capable writing features for a Dutch magazine and the other still making beautiful cross stitch for tablecloths. Two of my aunties and one uncle in their late 50iest have retired from their jobs. From my observation, they are so energetic and keep looking for a spare-time job because they beliefs that they have some capabilities that would be needed.

According to Wikipedia, retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. The retirement age varies from country to country but it is generally between 55 and 70. In some countries this age is different for male and females. Sometimes certain jobs, the most dangerous or fatiguing ones in particular, have an earlier retirement age.

In Indonesia a civil servant have the right to retire if they reach the age of 50 with at least 20 years service experiences (http://www.setneg.go.id). The normal retirement age for a civil servant is 56 years. This could be extended to 58, 60 or even 65 years if the person occupies a certain post. For example, university professor will retire at 65 years. Private company employee’s retirement age is 55-56 years. But we will find that many politicians, scientists, lawyers, television anchors, and professors still work well into their 70s. Meanwhile some actors, models, athletes, and musicians only work until their 30s.

The retirement with a pension is considered a right of the worker in many societies, especially in the developing countries. In many western countries this right is mentioned in national constitutions. In Indonesia the civil servant will get their pension every month in a very small quantity, only about 30 percent of their last take home salaries (http://www.setneg.go.id). For most civil servants, the pension would not be enough to support their retirement life, not to mention the cost of health care in retirement they have to spend, because people tend to be ill more frequently in later life. For a better living, most people have to find another job in their retirement age.

Reaching retirement age would not stop a person to work, especially if they still in a good health and competence to deliver their service to the society. On the other hand, working-age population has increased every year while the working opportunities are limited. Unemployment issue will still be a problem to be solved by the government.

In this perspective as an ITB student, I think we should set up mindset to create job opportunities rather than waiting to be employed by the formal sector, because during our study at the institute we will be trained properly and hopefully should be able to apply our knowledge and skill for the society. So it will be important to always keep up with the progress of the society that needed our services. As we go along we will know when our service is not needed anymore and then we have to stop working but I think it does not always mean stop doing any other activities.

References:

Retirement. The Online Wikipedia. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retirement

Indonesian Act Number 11 Year 1969 about Pension for Civil Servants and Pension Civil Servants Widow, article 9. Indonesian Office of State Secretary homepage. Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the Wide World Web: http://www.setneg.go.id

Presidential Decree Number 32 Year 1979 about Civil Servants Resignation, article 3. Indonesian Office of State Secretary homepage .Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the Wide World Web: http://www.setneg.go.id

Presidential Decree Number 32 Year 1979 about Civil Servants Resignation, article 4. Indonesian Office of State Secretary homepage .Retrieved May 10, 2008 from the Wide World Web: http://www.setneg.go.id

Siti Amalia Hasnida

16107090

Age of Retirement: an Insight of

Retirement is described as “the point where a person stops employment completely” in Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia. Its definition is as vague as it is in reality, since it is so hard to define in what age people should stop working. Normal retirement age is estimated between 55 and 70 (www.wikipedia.org_retirement), but there are people who retire long before them, and there are people whose age far exceed them and still got paid. Because retirement age is closely related to being paid, this became a somewhat serious issue, and I think there are reasons why it is so difficult to decide in what age people should retire.

First of all, there are works that closely related to one’s productive age, which is also linked to the type of work. Productive age itself is a range of age when people can work to get paid productively (Conrad 2004:289). Work like officer, for example can only be done by people who are capable to do that. They must be sharp, active, intuitive, and communicate well with other people. And, those aspects will decrease through time. Since it could affect their performance in doing job—and ultimately affect their company profit—the company will have no choice other than to oblige them to retire.

There are also works that closely related with one’s expertise in that particular job. By “expertise”, I mean “experience”, and that is accumulated with time. In other words, there are works that force people to keep studying, experiencing, and doing it until they exceed normal retirement age. People also think that the older a man, the wiser they become. That’s why, for job like politician and judge, people tend to choose older men so they can do their work justly.

Then again, that way of thinking seems to be shifted nowadays. People don’t seem to believe those “supposed-to-be-old-and-wise” men again. People think that those people are already corrupted and bring misfortune to them. Now, people tend to choose younger men; youngsters are the agent of change, they think. West Java governor election reflect this perfectly: the one chosen to be governor are the youngest candidates.

Beside these factors, there are lot more factors. For example, one’s determination to retire and starts his/her own job or sudden accident that cause disability for work.

In conclusion, the age of retirement is difficult to be generalized. Too many factors affect it. But, one thing for sure, a person is encouraged to be in paid employment (in short, to get paid) as long as he/she doing his/her job optimally. Government and companies should (and possibly had) consider this statement to decide people’s retirement age.

References:

1. Retirement. Wikipedia the Online Encyclopedia.[Online Article]. Retrieved 8 May 2008 from the World Wide Web:www.wikipedia.com_retirement

2. Conrad, Rownan (Ed 3). (2004). Economic Encyclopedia. New Castle: Wadsworth Inc.

M. Ferdyansyah Sechan 16107056

Cellular Phone : Good or Bad ?

Nowadays, communication becomes the most important thing to connect people around the world. After the development of cellular phone, the need of communication was increased along the increase of time. And also, the price to make a call, or usually called pulse, become cheaper. So people more often and longer to use the cellular phone. But, the use of cellular phone can be dangerous because it can produce radiation that can disturb our health, so cellular phone must be used wisely.

People, especially in Indonesia, from a city transportation driver until a president director of a company, have needs of communication. Even an elementary school need a cellular phone to call his/her parents to pick up after school. But, besides all of the advantages that offered, the use of cellular phone can be dangerous because it produce a radiation that can affect our health. For example, if we use the cellular phone in along duration, it would deliver heat that can “sting” our ear. Moreover, a group of people try to proofing the danger of cellular phone radiation with an egg putted on the frying pan, and a cellular phone in call condition put beside it. The result, after sixty-five minutes the egg become cooked! Imagine that this condition appear on our ear and our hearing system. That would be so dangerous.

Yet, it can not be deny that cellular phone make our life easier. A lot of thing we can handle on our hand. We can know the condition of our friends around the world or just order our meal by calling. And the other example, if we go somewhere, and we still want everyone can know our condition, we can bring the cellular phone to realize it. And a lot of the advantages of communication, especially the develop of cellular phone that can make our live better.

After we knew the advantages and the disadvantages of using cellular phone, we must wise to use it. Consider of its radiation, we should make a call not in a long duration, or if we still want to call with a long duration we can use the cellular phone with optional application or device such as loudspeaker and headset, in order to minimize the radiation that can affect our health. Basically, a technology was developed to make people live better, not to destroy the human being. So we must control the technology and use it wisely in order to reach the goal of the technology development reason: to make people live better.

Productive Age, Limit for Paid Employment

Peoples should work on productive age for paid employment. “Productive age is a range of age when people can work for paid employment optimally” (Conrad 2004:289). Before peoples reach productive age, they are reputed as peoples that have not enough skill. But after peoples pass their productive age, they are too old to work optimally. For example, Indonesia has a specific range of productive age that is from 18 until 55 years old. It means that people should work for paid in range of age 18 until 55 years old to work optimally. But, in some cases the range of productive age depend on the kinds of job and someone skills.

Each kind of job has a different requirement of age. A scientist can work for paid employment until 60 years old, but many sportsmen only work until 35 years old for their job. It is happens because a scientist and a sportsmen have a different requirement of optimal age for their job. Some one can be a great scientist after he finishes his study in doctoral level and does some researches. Therefore, maybe he will become a great scientist in 40 years old. On the other hand, sportsmen must be a young and strong man on 20 until 30 years old of age. So, those two different jobs will require a different range of productive age.

Skillful people have longer productive age. Each kind of job not only have a requirement of age, but also have some requirements of someone skills. People with some certain skill can apply for a job earlier. For example, vocational school’s students those have more certain skill than senior high school’s students are more ready for a job when they graduate. So they are ready for paid employment earlier and have longer productive age.

In conclusion, people has a limitation of age for work optimally that is called productive age, but the range of productive age is different for one to another people. It is depends on his or her jobs and skills.

Reference

- Conrad, Rownan. (2004). Economic Encyclopedia 3^rd ed. New Castle :Wadsworth Inc.