Singapore brings increases to retirement and re-employment age forward

The announcement builds on changes introduced earlier this year. From 1 July 2026, Singapore raised its retirement age to 64 and its re-employment age to 69, putting the country on a gradual path towards the eventual thresholds of 65 and 70. The changes will give older workers greater assurance while enabling employers to retain experienced staff, according to the Tripartite Workgroup on Senior Employment.

Mayumi Soh, an expert in employment law at Pinsent Masons, said: “Employers should use the time between now and 2029 to audit their employment contracts, update any provisions referencing the old retirement ages, and ensure their re-employment frameworks and HR processes are fit for purpose.”

The changes were included in the updated Tripartite Guidelines on the Re-employment of Older Employees (1 July 2026), issued pursuant to Singapore's Retirement and Re-employment Act, which encourage employers to begin career planning discussions with employees well before retirement age, provide relevant training and engage in re-employment consultations at least six months in advance. Employers should also offer re-employment contracts at least three months before retirement where workers meet eligibility requirements.

Soh said: “They also recommend flexible approaches to re-employment, including retaining employees in their existing roles, redesigning jobs, redeploying workers to new positions or offering alternative working arrangements agreed by both parties. Employers are also encouraged to adopt more age-friendly workplaces and structured career planning processes.”

The government also outlined a series of support measures, including a new re-employment credit for employers, enhanced tax relief for older workers and improvements to financial support schemes for lower-wage employees. Further details of the support measures are expected in the first half of 2027.