Resources for Older Members

At the recent NTGPASS seminars many members had questions about retirement and moving to part-time employment. Given how important this is to members, OCPE has provided assistance in collating the information on this page, as well as links to a range of resources.

Given that all of our members are long-term public servants, we recognise the importance of providing information to support you in your decision making in the immediate, near and future planning, at both a professional and personal level. OCPE has provided a number of links to resources to peak bodies that provide information and answer some of the questions you may have as you consider what successful retirement may look like.

As many of you are also managers, OCPE have included some links to the guidance / checklists that will assist you in considering how you or your staff members may approach winding down prior to retirement. While people are choosing to work for longer than in previous times, in part due to the increase in people’s health and wellbeing, along with financial aspirations, one of the issues facing the NTPS is the loss of considerable corporate knowledge as people decide to retire. OCPE recognise that workplace flexibility is required to enable staff to remain working for longer, should you wish to.

To this end, OCPE launched the NTPS Inclusion and Diversity campaign last year to raise awareness and provide you and your agencies with materials that support an inclusive and diverse workforce which included an ageing workforce framework. This comprises of a number of fact sheets, tools and initiatives that will assist you and your agency in working through the decisions and the adjustments required as people, teams and managers respond to the challenges and opportunities of our ageing workforce.

OCPE have also provided the following helpful links:

1.  Wellbeing and retirement readiness

The NTPS has a corporate membership with National Seniors Australia which provides you with access to a number of terrific resources, such as a Financial Information Desk, where you can call and speak to someone who will not give you advice, but will ‘translate’ the advice being given to you, so you understand impacts of your decisions. They have lots of information, fact sheets, a ‘retirement readiness quiz’ available which would be a great place to start (and they also have deals on travel, wine, insurances and the like). There are a number of local and national groups and programs which may be of interest:

• Over 60 years? Investigate the benefits of the Seniors Card
• DCC Seniors connections
• Alice Spring connections

2.  Flexible work arrangements information

Your agency HR teams and intranet will have a range of information and templates about flexible working, which you should investigate if you are thinking about reducing your hours, or if your staff are looking to reduce their hours in the lead up to retirement. The Fair Work Act and the PSEMA, along with the EBAs provide the guidance on certain employees having the right to request flexible working arrangements, with refusal to be on reasonable business grounds (ie if you are over 55 years, have caring responsibilities, experiencing family violence).

If you are managing a team who are looking to commence working more flexibly, in addition to the links above, interesting resources are below:

1. VPSC All Roles Flex

3. Financial planning information

An important part of planning for your future is the financial aspects. This is one area where many resources are available, should you access them. Below are a few helpful links, however it is not an exhaustive list.

1. Money Smart is a helpful Commonwealth site which has all types of calculators (superannuation, mortgage etc)
2. Human Services Financial Information Services
3. Department of Social Services
4. My Aged Care
5. Financial Planning Association of Australia. There is a list of independent advisors, however, you will need to do your own due diligence regarding the one that fits best. A chat with the National Seniors Australia helpdesk may give you greater confidence in what to look for in choosing a financial planner.
6. SuperGuru.