Nandi East Sub County public servants have been counseled on pre-retirement preparation in a meeting organized by the human resource management department with an aim of helping workers gain awareness of emotional issues surrounding retirement transition thus tackle the challenges that come with retirement effectively.
Speaking at the forum, Nandi County director of human resource Joseph Ng’asike divulged that preretirement training aids retirees face retirement in a more focused way as it assists them to develop a fruitful plan in the post retirement period on what to do after withdrawal from active working life.
“Happy and successful retirement requires vision, preparation, commitment as well as creativity. Retirement need not be a time of boredom. Cultivate a lasting legacy of success, fulfillment and happiness,” explained the director adding that life challenges do not stop once a person retires.
Ng’asike advised the public servants to ensure they cultivate a healthy relationship with their spouses to avoid divorce after retirement noting that they will spend more time together with their spouses after retirement than any other time before, adding that relationships with colleagues are rarely maintained once people exit workforce.
He further said that workers should involve their families to ensure they prepare their retirement together because roles will definitely change after quitting work and if not well prepared it might lead to psychological and emotional torture that can trigger health problems.
The director called on the public servants to instill the culture of saving for their retirement life saying that this should be done at least 10 years to retirement to ensure that they become dependent after exiting service.
“Any time that passes each day draws you close to your retirement. The way you live today will determine your health tomorrow. Having a social network is essential to living a long, happy and healthy life. Ensure your children are aged 18 and above when you retire,” pointed Ng’asike noted that home is a place that one needs to feel wanted and a place to rest after retirement thus should be made conducive in advance during the working life.
The administrator instructed workers to maximize their leave days and any other off duty time stating that whatever people do during such days is what they will be doing when they retire therefore should be spent at their homes doing constructive work like farming, business rather than sleeping, gossiping and watching Television.
“Your certificates become useless when you retire. Learn a trade or a skill during your leave days. Start a hobby in your working days like rearing chicken, farming or owning a shop that will take you long when you retire. Acquire marketable skills that will guide you in doing business. It will come handy. You will thank yourself for spending your time productively,” advised the administrator.
By Ruth Mainye
