National Employee Benefits Day
April 2, 2009
National Employee Benefits
Day is being celebrated on Thursday, April 2, 2008. This day was enacted to bring a heightened
awareness to health, retirement and other benefit plans’ value in today’s
workplace and society. Employee
appreciation of benefits is an essential component to a productive
workplace. This year’s focus is “retirement
security”. The current economy has made
retirement a top concern form many individuals, and it is more important than
ever to make a plan for a secure retirement.
Why Should You Save for Retirement?:
·
Because you don’t want to work forever, and you will
ultimately be responsible for paying for
your retirement.
o
If you want to
stop working one day, you are going to have to think about how much income you
will need to live. Social Security and
KPERS will only provide approximately ½ of your needed retirement income
·
Because you want to have enough money saved for a
comfortable retirement
o
Many people
assume that expenses will go down in retirement, but that is not necessarily
the case. Inflations means you will need
more, not less. You might spend less on
clothing and gas, but you have more time to shop and travel!
·
Because you don’t know how long you will be able to
work
o
37% of current
retirees retired earlier than planned due to an unexpected event such as health
problems or changes in their company such as downsizing. The earlier you start preparing, the better.
·
Because you don’t know how long you will live
o
People today are
living longer. A man has a 50% change of
living to 81, a women to 85. A 25%
change of living to nearly 90, and a 10% chance of getting close to 100. You don’t want to live longer than your
finances.
Through the Benefits
Division’s education efforts, Johnson County employees will be able to make
educated and appropriate decisions about planning and setting goals for
retirement. Look for workshops,
contests, and more to increase your retirement knowledge. The Benefits Division’s on-going educational
efforts build towards a greater understanding and appreciation of all benefits
offered to Johnson County employees.
Please view Benefits web site, http://ofm.jocogov.org/defaultbenes.htm, which is being updated regularly to keep you informed. If you have any questions regarding your benefits, you may contact the Benefits team by e-mail at ofm-benefits@jocogov.org or call us at (913) 715-0700.