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{{org_field_name}}

Registration Number: {{org_field_registration_no}}

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Employee Retirement Planning and Support Policy

1. Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to provide guidance on how {{org_field_name}} supports employees in planning and transitioning into retirement, ensuring a smooth process that considers their financial security, well-being, and ongoing contributions to the workforce before and after retirement.

This policy supports compliance with the Equality Act 2010, the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Pensions Act 2008, the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, the Regulated Services (Service Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017, as amended, and current statutory guidance and CIW requirements relevant to domiciliary support services in Wales. It also supports the organisation’s duty to maintain safe, sufficient and competent staffing, continuity of care, effective governance, and fair employment practice.

Retirement is a significant life transition. {{org_field_name}} will support employees who choose to discuss retirement, flexible working or future planning, while ensuring that no employee is treated less favourably, pressured, disadvantaged or managed differently because of age, pension eligibility, length of service or assumptions about retirement.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

• All employees of {{org_field_name}}, including care workers, managers, administrative staff and ancillary staff. Where appropriate, the principles of fairness, dignity, non-discrimination, confidentiality and safe workforce planning will also be applied to workers and other staff engaged by the organisation, subject to their contract and employment status.
• Employees who are considering retirement, have reached retirement age, or are planning flexible retirement options.
• Managers and HR personnel responsible for supporting employees in planning for their future retirement.
• Responsible individuals, registered managers and senior staff who have responsibility for ensuring that workforce planning, staffing arrangements and continuity of care remain safe, effective and consistent with the organisation’s statement of purpose.

This policy ensures that all employees, regardless of their role or length of service, are given equal access to information and resources to prepare for their retirement while allowing the organisation to manage workforce planning effectively.

3. Retirement Age and Legal Considerations

{{org_field_name}} does not operate a compulsory retirement age. Employees may choose when they wish to retire, subject to their contractual notice requirements. Managers must not assume that an employee wishes to retire because they have reached a particular age, become eligible for a pension, reduced their hours, experienced ill health, or have long service. Any discussion about retirement must normally be initiated by the employee and must be handled sensitively, confidentially and without pressure.

Employees who are considering retirement are encouraged, where they feel comfortable doing so, to discuss their intentions as early as possible so that the organisation can plan safely and supportively. This is voluntary and does not replace the employee’s contractual or statutory notice requirements. Formal notice of retirement must be given in accordance with the employee’s contract of employment.

Retirement planning information will be made available to all employees in a neutral and non-discriminatory way, for example through general staff communications, financial wellbeing resources, pension provider information, or upon request by the employee. Managers and HR must not target employees for retirement discussions because of age or pension eligibility.

3.1 Age Discrimination, Capability and Performance

Retirement must not be used as an alternative to fair capability, conduct, sickness absence, safeguarding, fitness to practise, performance management or disciplinary procedures. Where there are concerns about an employee’s performance, conduct, health, attendance, competence or ability to carry out their role safely, these concerns will be managed under the appropriate organisational policy and not through informal pressure to retire.

Decisions about recruitment, training, promotion, working hours, duties, supervision, disciplinary action, capability, redundancy, flexible working, retirement support or continued employment must not be based on age-related assumptions. Examples of unacceptable assumptions include assuming that an older employee is less capable, less willing to train, unable to use technology, more likely to retire soon, or less suitable for development opportunities.

Employees who believe they have been treated unfairly because of age, perceived age, association with someone of a particular age, pension status or retirement intentions may raise this through the Grievance Policy, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, or Whistleblowing Policy where appropriate.

4. Supporting Employees with Retirement Planning

To ensure employees have access to the necessary resources for effective retirement planning, {{org_field_name}} offers:

4.1 Financial and Pension Planning

• Pension Awareness Sessions: Regular information sessions explaining workplace pension options, government pensions, and financial planning for retirement.
• Access to Pension Provider Information: Employees will be signposted to their workplace pension provider for information about their pension scheme, contribution options, pension statements, retirement options and how to obtain scheme-specific guidance. Any decision about increasing contributions, accessing pension benefits, transferring pensions or taking retirement income remains the employee’s personal decision.
• General Pension Information and Signposting: HR may provide general information about workplace pension processes, payroll arrangements, pension provider contact details and signposting to independent guidance. HR and managers must not provide regulated financial advice, recommend pension products, advise employees to access or transfer pension benefits, or advise employees when to retire. Employees requiring personal financial advice will be signposted to an FCA-authorised financial adviser, their pension provider, MoneyHelper, Pension Wise or other appropriate independent sources.
• Signposting to External Support: Employees may be signposted to MoneyHelper, Pension Wise, Citizens Advice, GOV.UK State Pension information, the workplace pension provider and, where appropriate, FCA-authorised financial advisers. Signposting must be factual, impartial and must not steer the employee towards a particular financial decision.

4.2 Flexible Retirement Options

Flexible retirement options are not automatic and will be considered in line with business needs, safe staffing requirements, service user continuity, contractual obligations, the Flexible Working Policy, equality law and the employee’s role. Employees may make a statutory flexible working request where they wish to change their hours, working pattern, duties, work location or other working arrangements. Requests will be considered fairly, reasonably and without age-related assumptions.

• Phased Retirement: Employees may request to reduce their working hours before full retirement to transition gradually while maintaining some income.
• Job Sharing: Employees who wish to step back from full-time work may be given the option of job-sharing their role with another staff member.
• Part-Time, Reduced Hours or Alternative Roles: Employees may request part-time work, reduced hours, amended duties, job sharing or alternative roles. Any change must be agreed in writing before it takes effect and must not compromise service user safety, continuity of care, regulatory compliance, staffing levels, travel time requirements, supervision, training, on-call cover or the employee’s ability to carry out the role safely.
• Re-engagement After Retirement: Where a former employee wishes to return to work after retirement, this will be considered through the usual recruitment, safer recruitment, DBS, Social Care Wales registration, fitness, contractual and workforce planning processes. There is no automatic right to be re-employed after retirement.
• Career Transition Support: Employees considering a career change before full retirement will be given guidance on alternative roles within the organisation that may be more suited to their changing needs.

4.3 Emotional and Psychological Support

Retirement is a major life adjustment, and {{org_field_name}} recognises the emotional impact of leaving the workforce. Employees will have access to:

• Retirement Preparation Workshops that address the psychological transition to retirement.
• Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) offering confidential counselling and well-being support.
• Peer Support Groups to connect employees who are planning retirement with retired former colleagues for advice and encouragement.

Accessing emotional, wellbeing or retirement preparation support is voluntary. Employees will not be required to attend retirement-related support, and attendance or non-attendance will not be used to infer that an employee intends to retire.

4.4 Workforce Succession Planning

Workforce planning will be managed in a way that protects service users from avoidable disruption and supports safe, effective and consistent domiciliary care. Where an employee voluntarily confirms their intention to retire, the organisation will consider the impact on staffing levels, rotas, continuity of care, service user preferences, travel time, skills mix, supervision, on-call arrangements, delegated duties and any specialist knowledge held by the employee.

With the employee’s agreement, a handover or knowledge transfer plan may be developed. This may include mentoring, shadowing, updating care-related records, sharing relevant operational information, supporting induction of replacement staff, or contributing to training. The employee will not be pressured to undertake additional duties beyond their role, working hours or agreed notice period.

Managers must ensure that succession planning does not result in discrimination, assumptions about retirement, or reduced access to training, promotion, supervision, appraisal or development opportunities for employees because of age.

5. Process for Employees Wishing to Retire

Employees who wish to retire must follow this process:

5.1 Initial Notification

• Employees who decide to retire must provide formal written notice in accordance with their contract of employment.
• Employees are encouraged, but not required, to discuss possible retirement plans at an earlier stage if they wish to explore support, flexible working, phased retirement or workforce handover arrangements.
• Managers must not pressure employees to give an intended retirement date before the employee has chosen to do so.

5.2 Retirement Planning Meeting

Where an employee has confirmed that they intend to retire, HR or the line manager will offer a retirement planning meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss practical employment matters, including the proposed final working date, contractual notice, accrued annual leave, final salary arrangements, return of property, handover arrangements, confidentiality, training records, Social Care Wales registration implications where relevant, and any agreed flexible working or phased retirement arrangements.

HR may provide general pension process information and signpost the employee to their pension provider, MoneyHelper, Pension Wise or an FCA-authorised financial adviser. HR and managers must not provide regulated financial advice or tell the employee when or how to access pension benefits.

A written note of the meeting will be retained confidentially on the employee’s HR file.

5.3 Phased Exit, Handover and Continuity of Care

Where the employee agrees and where operationally appropriate, a phased exit or handover plan may be agreed. This may include mentoring, shadowing, introduction of replacement staff to service users, updating care-related operational information, transferring rota knowledge, and ensuring that service users are informed of staff changes in a sensitive and appropriate way.

The handover plan must support continuity of care and must consider the needs, preferences and personal plans of service users. For domiciliary care workers, the plan must also consider travel time, call times, visit duration, staff availability, staff competence and any specialist skills or relationships that support safe care delivery.

Any phased retirement or reduced-hours arrangement must be confirmed in writing and must be reviewed if it affects safe staffing, continuity of care, contractual obligations or the employee’s ability to carry out their role safely.

5.4 Formal Resignation and Final Payroll

• Employees will need to submit a formal retirement notice letter confirming their final working date.
• HR and payroll will process final salary, accrued but untaken annual leave, deductions, expenses and any other contractual payments due. Pension benefits, pension access, pension transfers or retirement income will be managed directly between the employee and the pension provider, subject to the pension scheme rules.

5.5 Retirement Recognition and Celebration

{{org_field_name}} values the contribution of employees who choose to retire. Any retirement recognition, event, announcement or gift will be discussed with the employee in advance and will respect their wishes, dignity, privacy, confidentiality, equality and any relevant organisational rules on gifts or hospitality.

6. Managing Retirement Efficiently in a Domiciliary Care Setting

Retirement within a domiciliary care business requires careful workforce planning to ensure that service users continue to receive high-quality care without disruption.

To manage this efficiently, {{org_field_name}} will:

• Monitor workforce capacity, vacancy levels, turnover, skills mix, training needs, registration status, absence trends and known confirmed leavers to support safe recruitment and workforce planning. Equality monitoring data, including age data, will only be used lawfully, proportionately and for legitimate equality monitoring or workforce planning purposes, and not to pressure or target employees about retirement.
• Use exit interviews to assess the impact of an employee’s retirement and adjust staffing plans accordingly.
• Offer internal promotions and upskilling opportunities to existing staff to ensure a seamless transition when employees retire.
• Work with local training providers and apprenticeships to recruit and train new care workers ahead of anticipated retirements.

Workforce planning must ensure that retirement, resignation or reduced hours do not compromise the organisation’s ability to provide safe, reliable and person-centred domiciliary care. Planning must consider staffing levels, service user needs, travel time, call duration, continuity of care, Welsh language or communication needs, staff competence, supervision, on-call arrangements, induction, mandatory training and Social Care Wales registration where applicable.

Where a retirement creates a material risk to safe staffing, continuity of care or the organisation’s ability to provide the service in accordance with the statement of purpose, the registered manager and/or responsible individual will review the risk and take appropriate action. This may include recruitment, temporary cover, rota review, consultation with commissioners, prioritisation of continuity for service users, or notification/escalation where required by regulation or contract.

By planning effectively, {{org_field_name}} ensures that service users experience no disruption to their care services while supporting long-serving employees through a dignified retirement process.

6.1 Domiciliary Support Rostering and Travel Time

Where retirement, phased retirement, reduced hours or a change in working pattern affects domiciliary care rotas, the manager must ensure that schedules of visits remain safe, realistic and compliant. Rotas must allow sufficient care time to meet the individual’s personal plan, sufficient travel time between visits, and any applicable rest breaks.

Replacement staff must be appropriately inducted, competent and familiar with the needs and preferences of the individuals they support. Where changes affect service users, they will be informed sensitively and in a way that supports continuity of care and wellbeing.

6.2 Non-Guaranteed Hours Contracts

Where a domiciliary care worker is employed on a non-guaranteed hours contract and is considering retirement, phased retirement or reduced hours, the organisation will ensure that any discussion is handled fairly and consistently with the worker’s contractual status and the requirements applying to domiciliary support services in Wales.

Where the legal conditions are met, domiciliary care workers on non-guaranteed hours contracts will be offered the choice of alternative contractual arrangements in line with the Regulated Services Regulations and organisational procedures. Retirement discussions must not be used to avoid contractual obligations or to discourage a worker from requesting more secure contractual arrangements.

7. Employee Rights and Protections

Employees will not be forced, pressured or encouraged to retire because of age, pension eligibility, length of service, perceived capability, ill health, reduced working hours, caring responsibilities or assumptions about future plans.

Employees have the right to:

• choose whether and when to raise retirement planning discussions;
• change their mind about retirement before giving formal notice;
• be treated fairly and without age discrimination;
• request flexible working in line with the Flexible Working Policy and statutory requirements;
• access general pension information and independent guidance without being pressured into a financial decision;
• have performance, capability, conduct, attendance or health matters managed under the appropriate policy rather than through retirement pressure;
• raise concerns through HR, their line manager, the Grievance Policy, the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, or the Whistleblowing Policy where appropriate;
• be accompanied at meetings where the relevant organisational policy or statutory process allows this.

Any complaint or concern about age discrimination, retirement pressure or unfair treatment will be taken seriously and managed promptly, fairly and confidentially.

7.1 Data Protection and Confidentiality

Information about an employee’s age, pension position, health, retirement intentions, flexible working request or financial circumstances will be handled confidentially and in accordance with data protection requirements and organisational policies. Information will only be shared with those who need it for legitimate employment, payroll, pension administration, workforce planning, regulatory or safeguarding purposes.

Managers must not discuss an employee’s retirement intentions with colleagues, service users, families, commissioners or external parties unless the employee has agreed, there is a lawful basis to do so, or disclosure is necessary for safe service planning.

7.2 Health, Fitness and Reasonable Adjustments

If an employee has a health condition, disability, injury or reduced capacity that may affect their work, this will be managed through the appropriate health, sickness absence, capability, occupational health or reasonable adjustments process. The organisation will consider reasonable adjustments where required and will not assume that the employee should retire.

Where there are concerns about the employee’s ability to carry out care duties safely, the organisation will assess the risk, seek appropriate advice where needed, and take proportionate action to protect the employee, colleagues and service users.

8. Related Policies

This policy should be read in conjunction with:

• Staff Leave and Absence Policy (DCW33)
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy (DCW30)
• Staff Conduct and Code of Ethics Policy (DCW28)
• Workforce Planning and Succession Strategy

• Flexible Working Policy
• Grievance Policy
• Disciplinary Policy
• Capability and Performance Management Policy
• Sickness Absence and Attendance Management Policy
• Recruitment and Selection Policy
• Safer Recruitment Policy
• Supervision and Appraisal Policy
• Staff Support and Development Policy
• Whistleblowing Policy
• Data Protection and Confidentiality Policy
• Welsh Language Policy, where applicable
• Rota Management and Continuity of Care Procedure
• Social Care Wales Registration Policy, where applicable
• Gifts, Hospitality and Donations Policy, where applicable

9. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed at least annually, or sooner where there are changes to employment law, pensions law, the Equality Act 2010, the Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016, the Regulated Services Regulations, Welsh Government statutory guidance, CIW requirements, Social Care Wales requirements, organisational structure or service delivery arrangements.

The registered manager, responsible individual and/or nominated senior manager will ensure that the policy remains consistent with the statement of purpose, safe staffing arrangements, continuity of care, equality duties and current regulatory expectations. Any material changes will be communicated to relevant staff.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}
Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}
Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}
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