RESPECTFUL EXITS

Respectful Exits is strengthening our workforce and economy by mobilizing the voices and talents of aging workers to bridge the gap between the options they need and the choices employers offer.

From now until 2029, 10,000 Americans will turn 65 each day. Many of these 40 million+ “Boomers” have been retired prematurely. Half of workers aged 55 have $14,000 or less in savings to finance their retirement.

The old model and dream of working to 65 and retiring for a decade of pension-funded leisure is outdated and broken. It is past time for employer practices to catch up with the new longevity.  Since the 1980s, we have added 20 years to lifespans, yet vibrant contributors are being discarded daily, pensions have been cut, and the social safety net is being shredded.

A recent SHRM survey found 64% of workers age 50-64 hope to work longer and ease into retirement, but only 5% of employers offer such options as formal programs.

Respectful Exits is the organized voice of aging workers coming together to close that gap.

We are insisting that employers implement our common sense Longevity Agenda:

• End the 65 “sell-by” date as a mandatory or informal “retirement age”
• Practice career-long development and training of all staff
• Encourage robust flexible scheduling for employees of all ages
• Provide ongoing, on-demand financial wellness counseling
• Implement and promote flexible and phased retirement options

And we are freely distributing our new universal web-based tool ThePhazer™ for employees to propose a win-win path to flexible and phased retirement.

Through a dynamic national campaign with local affiliates, we are educating the public, mobilizing employees, and engaging employers to create a new normal for aging workers.