At 66, she has no plans to retire
Published on
19 Nov 2022
Published by
The Straits Times
SINGAPORE – When her employer Prudential Singapore removed its retirement age for workers in 2018, Ms Noreen Wee was elated. “The whole year before, in 2017, I was worried whether the company would offer me re-employment and what terms it would be on,” says the 66-year-old lead writer, policy contracts.
“If I had to retire, I would have more time on my hands. What would I do?”
Ms Wee is the type of worker that the United Nations had in mind in 2020, when it released its discussion paper on the right of older persons to work and to access the labour market.
The paper pointed out that older persons want to work for the same reasons as younger people. Apart from the money, work brings psychological benefits. It is personally fulfilling and allows older workers to continue to participate actively in public life.
Ms Wee’s husband, who used to work in a bank, died in 2020. The mother of two grown sons and a daughter finds her days interesting and fulfilling, thanks to her job. Work also boosts her sense of self-worth.
The former English teacher joined Prudential in 2000, and moved around various departments such as customer management, operations, communications and product management for 12 years. For most of her time in the company, she has written policy documents in plain English, translating legal speak about outcomes, features, benefits and conditions into terms that lay readers can understand.
This is a specialised task which requires experience and understanding of how different insurance products work. Ms Wee often shares her insights and knowledge of product history with younger team members. She says: “You need to have extensive insurance background and knowledge of how the product works and the business intent to write it in layman terms.
“Over the years, it gets easier, but it’s still a challenging job because we always have new products with innovative features that need to be written simply for the customer to understand.”
She sometimes feels the effects of age, such as an occasional moment of forgetfulness, or the need to use larger fonts or screens to see what she is working on. However, she says: “If I can still contribute and add value to the company, I will work for as long as I can.
“I’ve been lucky. Prudential has allowed me to showcase my talents. I am doing things I’m good at and which I can excel in.”
Source: The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Reproduced with permission.
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