In Principle All Applicants are Re-Employed after Retirement
A two-day life planning seminar for employees reaching the age of 55 and their spouses also served as an opportunity to recognize the participants' service to the company. Olympus provides opportunities to learn about post-retirement life, including such aspects as financial management, living a well-balanced life, and health.
Olympus has a retirement system based on the age of 60, and in 2001 introduced a new system to re-employ those who are appointed by the company. In April 2006 we launched a new system to re-employ all those who are willing to continue working in accordance with the revised Law Concerning Stabilization of Employment of Older Persons. Contracts can be renewed every year until employees reach the year when they can receive their fixed pensions.
"Currently, the year 2007 problem is drawing attention," says Minoru Koyama, Human Resources Service Center, Human Resources Dept., Corporate Center, Olympus Corporation. "At Olympus the year when a lot of employees retire at the same time will come in about 10 years. By postponing the age when pensions are payable, a revision of the re-employment system is urgently needed. However, with the current pension system, which grants an annuity to those reaching the age of 60, only about half of employees who are going to retire hope to continue to work at present."
Most of the re-employed workers are assigned to their previous workplaces or related fields according to their experience. Those who originally hail from Nagano Prefecture or have been transferred from their home in Nagano can return to Olympus' several production sites in Nagano, if they so wish.
Examples of those who have made use of this system highlight
its benefits to the re-employed worker and to Olympus.
Yutaka Otani of Micro-Imaging System Division reached his retirement age as a
manager in charge of a new business to introduce inspection equipment made overseas
into the Japanese market. He is now employed at the same workplace. He says laughing,
"I feel like I am doing unfinished homework for the summer vacation in a classroom
after the vacation." But still, he says that he is able to focus on his job more
than he was when he was a manager. His present work concerns a new business to
promote products in cooperation with doctors and academics. Recognizing the importance
of human relations in business, he is accompanied by young employees to meet
doctors at hospitals whenever possible.
Ichiro Shimizu had been engaged in our quality control certification system and standardization of legal work on pharmaceutical affairs. Currently his duties at Olympus Intellectual Property Services Co., Ltd. include standardization of operation, employee education, and establishing a new quality control system.
"I only work four days each week, but I always continue work until I finish it, in the same way as before I retired," says Mr. Shimizu.
The two are active both at work and on holidays. Mr. Otani enjoys windsurfing, while Mr. Shimizu plays piano and sings in a choir.
From a User of the Re-employmentSystem after Retirement
Yutaka Otani
Marketing and Domestic Sales Dept., Micro-Imaging System
Div.
Life Science Group,
Olympus Corporation
I recognize my responsibilities to hand down my experience in the company to younger employees. I always bring group members when I visit doctors. What I try to convey are the intangible assets that play such an important role in my work, and other aspects that cannot easily be transmitted verbally.
From a User of the Re-employment System after Retirement
Ichiro Shimizu
Administration Group,
Olympus Intellectual Property
Services Co., Ltd.
I belong to an Olympus company established about a year ago in charge of filing patent applications and research for the Olympus Group. My responsibilities include standardization of work involving building and documentation for employee education and a quality control system to ensure that the same quality levels can be achieved if the responsible person changes. I believe my experience is of worth to the new company in promoting standardization.
From a Staff Member Operating the System
Minoru Koyama
Deputy Section Manager,
Human Resources Service Center,
Human Resources Dept.,
Corporate Center,
Olympus Corporation
I am very happy to hear that these two men enjoy working. Expecting an increase in the number of users, we are aiming to further improve the reemployment system. Another aim of this system is the repositioning of special skills; but since workplaces are sometimes not willing to let their staff go to another workplace, we have to demonstrate the value in doing so.
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