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Punch on: Open thread 14/11/2011

Daniel Piotrowski

by Daniel Piotrowski

14 Nov 05:00am

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Filed under: Open Thread, Retirement

68 comments

If you’re decades older than the retirement age but you really love your job, should you still retire?

Proof it's time for Johnny boy to retire again.

One of Britain’s oldest workers didn’t think so. Syd Prior, a worker at a DIY superstore, retired at age 96 last week. He said the job kept him young.

All you working people out there, would you ever work past your retirement age? And what about you retirees? Is retirement all that it’s sometimes cracked up to be? What are the best and worst parts of it? It’s Monday, folks. What’s on your mind?

Most commented

68 comments

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    • nossy says:

      05:59am | 14/11/11

      Wonderful to see Julia Gillard bouncing back into favour as the polls rebound and send a chilling message to Dr NO aka Tones Abbott “your day is over fella”. Stands to reason doesnt it if you have nothing to offer the electorate then in time you will fade away - and fading Abbott is - I bet Malcolm Turnbull is besdide himself - not long now Malcolm! Ohhh how sweet its is!
      http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-fights-her-way-out-of-slump-20111113-1ndvh.html

      Reply

    • Mark G says:

      07:38am | 14/11/11

      I am tradionally a liberal supporter but even I have to say I would like to see Abbott get rolled at the next election. I am a big supporter of Malcolm Turnbull and I cant wait till the end of the Abbott days. Actually I would prefer to see Joe Hockey take the leadership.

    • acotrel says:

      07:57am | 14/11/11

      A friend and also my son, who are both LNP voters, are strangely silent about politics these days. Previously they were both loud mouths.
      I love them both, so I don’t ask.  Anyway it’s really poor form to crow over other peoples’ embarassment.

    • Ben C says:

      08:16am | 14/11/11

      MIssed you lately, nossy? How you been?

      I’m starting to get a little disillusioned by Abbott, he really hasn’t done much of note lately. Maybe he’s lost his mojo?

    • Anna C says:

      09:03am | 14/11/11

      Yeah I prefer Malcolm Turnbull to Tony Abbott as well, eventhough I disagree with Malcolm’s stance on a climate change.

      I also want to see Kevin Rudd leading the ALP again.

    • nossy says:

      09:04am | 14/11/11

      @Ben C   excellent Ben and hope you are to. Have been around the blogs - good sometimes to stand back and let some others have a say on the Open Blog. Not much news to tell I am afraid - put my car in for service today ohh and the Gold Coast has won the 2018 Commonwealth Games - a few positives.

    • Elphaba says:

      09:18am | 14/11/11

      I don’t like Abbott and I reckon the Libs will roll him before the election - but I can’t vote for Gillard and Co.  Not while they’re letting the Greens make all their decisions for them.  I still disagree with their format for the carbon tax, and to vote for them, even though Abbott is a HUGE tool, would be sending the wrong message.

    • Ben C says:

      09:35am | 14/11/11

      Ah, yes, Commonwealth Games, that’s definitely a big coup for the Gold Coast. It’d be good to get the tourist numbers back up, and a chance for the Queensland Government to clean up the region a bit.

    • BobC says:

      10:44am | 14/11/11

      Nossy - your 4 million pensioners receiving compensation from the Government is not a plus for Labor, merely one example of the desperation and cynicism that abounds in their ranks as a result of selling their soul to the Greens.

    • fml says:

      11:17am | 14/11/11

      BobC,

      Helping 4 million pensioners is cynical now?

    • nossy says:

      11:31am | 14/11/11

      @BobC and yet dear Bob I couldnt imagine many of those Pensioners rushing to vote for Abbott can you - every night we see on TV the problems faced by Pensioners so more money in their hands is a plus for them I am sure. Abbott has run his race fella and its all downhill from here for him.

    • BobC says:

      11:38am | 14/11/11

      @fml - just a personal observation regarding a government that I have no faith in whatsoever.

    • fml says:

      11:55am | 14/11/11

      @BobC,

      So if Abbot were to help 4 million pensioners, that would be a cynical move as well?

      Who cares why it was done, Surely helping 4 million of your countrymen is a good thing.

    • Bill says:

      06:56am | 14/11/11

      What a crock Nossy. Abbott is STILL the preferred PM, the ALP’s primary vote is an embarrassing 32% and the coalition still is in an election winning position, prepared to smash the ALP when they finally face the people.

      Oh, but you are right on one thing - as Dullard has nothing to offer the electorate, she WILL soon fade away…

      Reply

    • Knemon says:

      09:22am | 14/11/11

      I wouldn’t be so sure about that Bill. The polls are trending back towards the ALP and there is one person solely responsible for that…Tony Abbott.

    • nossy says:

      10:03am | 14/11/11

      @Bill   sorry there Bill I didnt see your reply outside the thread - you have to click on “Reply” and put your blog into the thread fella. Yes all that would be fine Bill if the election was held now but its still 2 years away and as I understand it Australia has about 4 million Pensioners who are to get some Carbon Tax Compensation money , money which Abbott wants to take off them - I doubt too may of those people will vote for Tony Bill? And thats only 1 example of how stuffed Abbott is.

    • Babs of Sydney says:

      12:28pm | 14/11/11

      It would seem to me that the only people wanting Tony Abbott to be replaced as Leader of the Opposition are Labor voters.  Why is that I wonder?

    • Mark G says:

      01:00pm | 14/11/11

      babs of sydney,

      No not true. As I said above, I am a liberal voter and a member. I want Tony to go as much as anyone. The liberal party is holding the preference despite Tony not because of him. Winning the next election may be a short term gain for long term pain. One term with Tony at the helm may be enough for people to never vote liberal again.

    • Mahhrat says:

      07:01am | 14/11/11

      If you’re enjoying your job, why not?

      I think the real problem is ongoing support for people who work in labour-intensive trades.

      Their bodies might not let them continue to, say, work in the mine, but they’ll hang around for 30 or 40 more years, and it’s certainly hard to get hired if you’re over 50.

      Remember, the aged pension was only supposed to keep you a decade or so, not until you were 110.

      Reply

    • gobsmack says:

      07:20am | 14/11/11

      At my work there is one person in the senior ranks who is about 60 years old.  Her husband is a corporate lawyer and she is very well paid.  I assume they’ve paid off their house ten times over by now.
      The thing is that she’s not all that good at the work she’s doing.  It seems that she continues work because it gives her something to do.
      There are a number of younger up and comers in the organisation with much more talent but they are denied at least one promotional opportunity because this older person needs to fill the time of her day.
      My advice is that if you don’t need the money, let someone who does do the work.  There are lots of charities and volunteer organisations that can use the services of senior people with 40 years work experience.

      Reply

    • Tubesteak says:

      07:31am | 14/11/11

      I’d rather kill myself than have to put up with this shyte for longer than I have to.

      I’m planning on retiring well before the current retirement age of 67.

      Give me a verandah, a round of golf and a TV any day and I am in heaven.

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      08:46am | 14/11/11

      Hell Yes.
      Why in god’s name would I want to work if I don’t have to?

      Which is why I save my money and try to invest as best as I can while I’m young.

      Hopefully the government (of any type) doesn’t keep trying to make it harder and harder to be a fully self funded retiree.

    • Adam Diver says:

      09:47am | 14/11/11

      The key to retirement is to have someone to do it with (forget the missus I am talking about a friend).

      Otherwise its directionless and boring.

      I am speaking of experience of about a month between jobs, was losing my mind, although I did have financial pressures at the time.

    • Tubesteak says:

      10:27am | 14/11/11

      Tim
      I agree

      Adam Diver
      I was unemployed for about 3 months a few years ago. The financial stress was painful. But not having to go to work was bliss. There’s always blogs (and golf, and TV, and long drives in the country, and the beach, and movies). I’m a very self-sufficient person. But I bet there’s always someone else up for a game of golf!

    • Tomonoski says:

      07:31am | 14/11/11

      The guys in our office who are past retirement age continue to work for only one reason - they cannot stand being at home with their wives.

      Reply

    • Ben C says:

      08:18am | 14/11/11

      @ Tomonoski

      The converse could be true too - the wives married them for better or for worse, not breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    • Mark G says:

      07:50am | 14/11/11

      I think the issue of working longer is going to be a greater issue for the work obsessed Gen X and Gen Y (once they reach the prime of their work life). These generations are working longer hours in their work lives at the expense of most other parts of their lives. What are they going to do when the work stops. I know from personal experience that I struggle to have a leisure day off without going mad at home. I cant imagine what life would be like without work and I don’t think that I am the exception. Not sure if anyone else agrees with this?

      The other problem with these work obsessed generations is that they are living longer and need to fund a longer retirement.

      Reply

    • marley says:

      11:15am | 14/11/11

      I wouldn’t have said Gens X and Y are any more work obsessed than any other generation.  Some individuals are;  a lot aren’t, just as was the case with the boomer generation and the ones before them.  My father was something of a workaholic - and he was born in 1910.  And when I first started working, I knew a lot of older guys who retired and were dead within a year or two, mostly because without work, they had no purpose in life.

      The key is that infamous work-life balance.  When you’re young, building a career, raising a family, that can be hard to find. As you get older, though, it’s really important to develop interests outside the workplace, so that by the time you hit retirement, you don’t define who you are solely by what your job title is. 

      One of the most important messages I got from a pre-retirement seminar I attended a few years ago was the importance of really planning for retirement, and not just financially.  You have to plan what you are going to do that will give your life meaning, post-workplace.  That could be anything from developing a passion for golf or fishing or downhill skiiing to volunteering to coach the local footy team or teach kids to read. It could be singing in the local choir or doing the “big loop.” 

      We all need goals, and no one should retire without having some.

    • Mark G says:

      12:49pm | 14/11/11

      Marley,

      Thats good advice. I liked it.

      The only problem is that it is sometimes easier said than done. I normally just run out of time and my job isnt the sort of job that you can just leave.

    • NESLIHAN KUROSAWA says:

      07:58am | 14/11/11

      Hi Daniel,

      It has been a proven fact that as long as we feel as if we are productive, useful & happy members of our society, our lives could be so much better , & hopefully longer!! That is of course, we are mentally & physically well enough to perform our duties and age seems to be no barrier.  If also happens to be something that we enjoy immensely, it is even better.

      During my career I have met some very nice ladies in their eighties doing voluntary charity work in hospitals, which always managed to earn my admiration & respect each time our paths crossed.  Lets put the financial side aside for a moment!  Even though extra bit of money helps everyone.

      I have met a Russian lady about 76 at the time and she told me that her pension back home was something like $100 per month.  And since she had excellent English skills, she was also tutoring students to supplement her income, which was her choice & also enjoyed her job so much!!  It did not feel like an obligation or a chore!!

      I personally believe using our God given talents & knowledge, to help others in any way is very remarkable, at any age.  It is even more so, when we are feeling slightly older & also a bit alone that we might get the feeling as if no one actually needs us any more!!  It just makes us feel more alive & active, as well as the wonderful feeling that we are making a difference to our community at large.  Even though it may seem very small & worthless to some!!  Best regards to your editors.

      Reply

    • Mark G says:

      12:52pm | 14/11/11

      Because they can wink

      I note that you used the term ‘that tax’ rather than ‘the carbon tax’. What do you call a carbon tax that doesn’t reduce emissions? A Tax. wink

    • Kirsty says:

      08:03am | 14/11/11

      My grandfather worked until he was 74 as an ambo.  He was in pretty good shape but had to quit as it was getting a little too hard lifting the patients and the long hours.  Now at 82 he has only just quit the volunteer rural fire brigade and crushing large quantities of glass bottles to be recycled.

      Reply

    • Elphaha says:

      08:26am | 14/11/11

      If you love your job and can still do it, then work it for as long as you want.

      I love my job, but I won’t be doing it past retirement age.  I want to retire of a big fat super/investments kitty and squeeze in some more travel and live music before I’m too infirm to.

      Hope everyone had a good weekend. smile

      Reply

    • nossy says:

      09:49am | 14/11/11

      @Elphaha and you too Elphaha

    • JuzzyD says:

      08:43am | 14/11/11

      Happy Monday punchers. I got myself a Xoom tablet on the weekend. Loving it. Anyone got any optimized for honeycomb app recommendations?

      Pulse was at the top of my list. ThePunch was the first source I added

      Reply

    • fml says:

      08:58am | 14/11/11

      Bob’s yer Uncle.

    • Anna C says:

      08:57am | 14/11/11

      I would retire in a heartbeat if I won Lotto but unfortunately for me it’s 29 more years with my nose to the grindstone until I retire. I just wish I could afford to work part- time but that’s pretty much impossible to do in Sydney with its high cost of living.

      Reply

    • Mark G says:

      12:55pm | 14/11/11

      Given the cost of living you would have to win a fair bit on lotto to permanently retire. :(

    • Ben C says:

      09:06am | 14/11/11

      Some people don’t have the option to retire - they may be renting their home, and the pension might not go anywhere near enough to cover the rent, or they don’t have enough superannuation or lost it all in the GFC.

      The day I retire will be the day that I realise I am unable to contribute to my employer (or my own business) in any beneficial manner - if I’m costing my employer more than I am bringing in, that’s it.

      Reply

    • Shenanigans says:

      09:10am | 14/11/11

      i have no idea, that is around 50ish years away raspberry

      on a further note and for those who care, PARKWAY DRIVE ARE BACK IN AUS!!!!!!! already got my ticket and am keen to get my mosh on in feb raspberry although tbth not keen on going to BDO as it would just be to go see them. Least i got my soundwave tickets raspberry tis going to be the summer of mosh!

      Reply

    • Elphaba says:

      09:59am | 14/11/11

      Less than a month til the Foos.  I am so excited!  Celebrating with the Live at Wembley Stadium DVD right now… smile

    • Peter Yo says:

      11:52am | 14/11/11

      Nothing stanger than a hardcore band from Byron Bay that surf and is straight edge.
      Currently working on a mash up of Carrion and I Heart Roberts by Amity to play at Trash/SFX.

    • Knemon says:

      11:04am | 14/11/11

      Nice to be some, hey nossy?

      Can the Gold Coast airport handle 747’s?

    • Mark G says:

      11:27am | 14/11/11

      Knemon,

      Airforce one is a 747 by external looks only.

    • nossy says:

      11:35am | 14/11/11

      @Knemon the runway will have to be extended to handle 747’s Knemon but just up tyhe road is Brisvegas International.

    • Anjuli says:

      10:39am | 14/11/11

      There are some who can work in a job till forever then there are those who do menial and those who work in the heavy trades ,I doubt if any of those could be able to work past 67. My husband worked on construction sites on the management side of things he was totally burnt out by 60 as he took his work very seriously ,I was glad to finish work at 60 as I had worked since coming to Australia in 1973 for 20years as a school cleaner . Retirement is not all it is cracked up to be,the secret to retirement is to be content with what you have and not what others have or can do.

      Reply

    • A Safe Pair Of Hands says:

      10:55am | 14/11/11

      Prince Charles has his birthday on November 14.
      He is now 63 years old. He can now retire at 65 years old on the Age Pension!
      Until then, he can apply for the dole and government housing!

      Reply

    • palone says:

      12:03pm | 14/11/11

      @ Nossy. I retired in ‘95, again in ‘99, once more in 2004, and finally in 2008. And as I’ve sold the car I won’t have to retire ever again!

      Reply

    • nossy says:

      12:16pm | 14/11/11

      @palone   I see a book coming on for you palone “My Successful Retirements” - possibly a best seller if you can sneak some sex and intrigue into it - maybe “gloss up” some of your Retirement activities.

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      12:08pm | 14/11/11

      I went to a Doctor’s surgery in suburban Adelaide on Saturday, having sustained an injury. I never did get seen and eventually drove 20-odd kilometres to the other side of town. 
       
      The interseting thing is, I was the only Aussie in there, including the medical staff. All the signs, and even the brochures were in Arabic and while I was sitting and waiting, a number of them walked in and were seen almost immediately. 
       
      I have never felt so unwelcome in my own country. Or what used to be my own country. And the worst part? My taxes were paying for them, while I couldn’t even buy an appointment.

      Reply

    • Anubis says:

      12:50pm | 14/11/11

      Well Tony it will only become more prevalent should Hanson-Young/Milne/Brown and their mob get their way and create the “open door” to Australia that they want. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that this could happen under the current Government, with Julia being so prepared to bend over and say Ahhhh for the Greens in order to keep her tenuous grasp on the keys to the Lodge.

    • gobsmack says:

      12:55pm | 14/11/11

      You should have told them you were from Poorakistan.

    • fml says:

      01:11pm | 14/11/11

      Why didnt you just go to another Doctor?

    • Blind Freddy says:

      01:54pm | 14/11/11

      Don’t suppose any of the “Arabs’ were tax payers too?

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      01:51pm | 14/11/11

      fml
       
      I went from Para Hills to Morphettville if you know Adelaide at all…

      Reply

    • fml says:

      03:11pm | 14/11/11

      Don’t know Adelaide,

      I am just trying to find a reason why you were upset. So you rocked up to a Doctors office at the other side of town, possibly with out making an appointment, then you are upset that you didnt get seen to, and by a few pamphlets written in arabic.

      “while I was sitting and waiting, a number of them walked in and were seen almost immediately.”

      Could this because they made an appointment?

      Who/What exactly made you feel unwelcome?

    • Tony of Poorakistan says:

      03:45pm | 14/11/11

      fml

      no appointments taken on a Saturday, I believe. And I don’t know if you are being obtuse, but that is the closest surgery to me. I went there first and when I wasn’t served, I had to drive over 20Kms to a surgery in quite a different neighbourhood.

      And I felt unwelcome and out of place because I was ignored while they were served, because everyone was speaking a foreign language and because even the notices on the wall (presumably on how to apply for various other taxpayer-funded freebies) were printed in Arabic.

      To be fair, I was bemused that the TV actually had an English-speaking program showing, although that said, the sound was off, and some of the waiting room magazines were in English. Although they have probably been there since the practice was frequented by Aussies, long ago.

    • bella starkey says:

      03:31pm | 14/11/11

      I don’t think she looks anorexic but i just watched it without sound and she does look a bit special.

    • TheRealDave says:

      02:56pm | 14/11/11

      Are we allowed to comment freely on the ongoing Peter Roebuck story here in the Open Thread - since its verboten in the one actual Peter Roebuck article published today?

      And by comment - I mean able to freely express our thoughts, and not just mindless platitudes about how great a sports writer he was??

      Just seeking some clarification wink

      Reply

    • Tim says:

      03:30pm | 14/11/11

      Didn’t you know that even arseholes become legends in death?
      I believe the Chaser once wrote a song about it.

    • Anubis says:

      03:43pm | 14/11/11

      Peter who?

      From my understanding he was some bloke who liked cricket and liked to talk about it a lot. Ho-hum. Next story

    • AFR says:

      05:37pm | 14/11/11

      He’s not the first expat to try to see if he could fly in a third world country under suspicious circumstances - more often than not invovling a woman. In Thailand I think they call it the “Pattaya Flying Club”.

    • nossy says:

      03:36pm | 14/11/11

      For some light enertainment , given we await the arrival of Air Force One, heres a huge Russian jet taking off from an Australian airport and using ALL the runway - listen to our Aussie air traffic controllers!  hahah
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5coMjTwQYpk

      Reply
 
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