Some people think that having a set retirement age (e.g. 65 years) for everybody, regardless of occupation is unfair. They believe that certain workers deserve to retire and receive a pension at an early age.
Do you agree or disagree?
Nowadays many people believe that setting a fixed retirement age for all professionals is not fair. I am in complete agreement with this view as a lot of occupations can use extended services; however, it is equally beneficial for professionals working physically demanding sectors to receive early retirement.
On the one hand, there are jobs which require tremendous amount of experience and expertise which workers gain over a period of time, and putting an end to their employment because of their age is just unfair to the knowledge and effort they put in. For instance, researchers and scientists devote their entire life to their work, and asking them to quit just because of age is cruel, especially since the society will benefit from their work. Similarly, teachers should also be allowed to impart their knowledge till the time they can, as in my opinion without their service our progress will be much slower.
On the other hand, I would like to say that professionals working in army and police will extensively benefit from an early retirement programme, because of the intense physical strength and demanding schedules required to fulfill their duties. Moreover, an early retirement will give them a chance to be with their families which otherwise becomes impossible for them, due to the postings at non family stations.
In the end, I would like to conclude by stating that there must be an option for voluntary early retirement for those who need it due to the nature of their job profiles, and an opportunity of extended employment for those who want to work longer as age is just a number for them.
In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the impact of ageing populations.
It is true that people in industrialised nations can expect to live longer than ever before. Although there will undoubtedly be some negative consequences of this trend, societies can take steps to mitigate these potential problems.
As people live longer and the populations of developed countries grow older, several related problems can be anticipated. The main issue is that there will obviously be more people of retirement age who will be eligible to receive a pension. The proportion of younger, working adults will be smaller, and governments will therefore receive less money in taxes in relation to the size of the population. In other words, an ageing population will mean a greater tax burden for working adults. Further pressures will include a rise in the demand for healthcare, and the fact young adults will increasingly have to look after their elderly relatives.
There are several actions that governments could take to solve the problems described above. Firstly, a simple solution would be to increase the retirement age for working adults, perhaps from 65 to 70. Nowadays, people of this age tend to be healthy enough to continue a productive working life. A second measure would be for governments to encourage immigration in order to increase the number of working adults who pay taxes. Finally, money from national budgets will need to be taken from other areas and spent on vital healthcare, accommodation and transport facilities for the rising numbers of older citizens.
In conclusion, various measures can be taken to tackle the problems that are certain to arise as the populations of countries grow older.
Some people think that having a set retirement age (e.g. 65 years) for everybody, regardless of occupation is unfair. They believe that certain workers deserve to retire and receive a pension at an earlier age.
Do you agree or disagree?
Which type of workers do you think should benefit from early retirement?
Retirement age is an age when every working individual takes break from work and gets paid for the services they have done for their company. Some sociologists believe that having a fixed retirement age for everybody irrespective of their occupation is unfair, and certain workers should allowed to take early retirement. I completely agree with this argument and I will indicate my view with examples.
To begin with, people tend to become weak as they grow older. Different occupations demand different kinds of skills. Certain workers need physical strength to perform their duties. This physical strength and stamina reduces with age. While other occupations like office work demands less physical energy. Hence, workers whose work demands more physical energy need to be given an early retirement. This can be illustrated by the workers in coal mine whose work demands strength and stamina which deteriorates as they grow older. However, workers sitting in a library do not need to have much physical strength.
Additionally, people who have served a lot for a company for a longer duration could be given early retirement. Certain workers who have dedicated most of their life working for a company should be allowed to reap the benefits of retirement at an early age. For instance, my father started working for a company in India at the age of 20. He was allowed to take early retirement by considering the tenure of his work in the company.
In conclusion, having a common retirement age for all kinds of workers is unfair. Workers whose work demands more physical energy and workers who have served their company for a longer duration should be allowed to take early retirement.