At Together Housing, we believe retirement readiness needs to be about building confidence, clarity, and choice. We have several generous pension schemes and while these provide a solid foundation, we know that many colleagues still feel unsure about what retirement will mean for them personally and financially.
To support colleagues, we offer a range of complementary financial wellbeing benefits including shared cost additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) and lifetime financial management which includes free access to a learning hub, an annual financial plan and access to pension specialists supported by jargon-free videos and downloadable tools. Many people use this service to map their retirement goals with increased knowledge and peace of mind.
We have revamped our internal communications; recognising that this needs to be tailored to different life stages. Access to individuals’ pension schemes is provided by our one-stop reward portal with digital tools like retirement calculators, FAQs, and video explainers, allowing colleagues at all career stages the chance to understand their pension. We hold regular live webinars with our benefit partners on topics of interest, ensuring colleagues are informed and can plan for their future.
Approaching retirement age, our local government schemes offer popular retirement planning workshops, which allow opportunities to explore retirement options, and ask questions in a supportive environment, recognising that retirement is as much an emotional transition as a financial one.
Our award-winning flexible-working approach enables staff to explore flexible retirement pathways, recognising that many colleagues want to reduce hours gradually rather than retire overnight. We work with managers to ensure retirement conversations are handled with empathy, while ensuring we can still provide great service to our customers.
Ultimately, improving readiness is about empowering people to make informed decisions; demystifying pensions and creating space for planning. By embedding retirement planning into our workplace culture, we are helping colleagues look to the future with confidence.
Emma Tomkinson is assistant director of people services at Together Housing
