NTUC Urges Employers and Government To Do More For Older Workers In AI Era

~ These also include pressing on with age-inclusive practices and innovations ~

Ahead of Budget 2026, the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) calls on employers and Government to step up efforts to support older workers through job redesign, skills upgrading, and age-inclusive practices, especially in the age of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) transformation.

This call was made today during NTUC Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) Desmond Tan’s visit to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), unionised under the Healthcare Services Employees’ Union (HSEU).

At the visit, TTSH showcased the age-inclusive initiatives and innovations it has adopted — in collaboration with HSEU and with the support of NTUC’s Company Training Committee (CTC) Grant — to reduce the physical demands placed on healthcare workers, including older workers.

With a trend of low birth rates and an ageing population, Singapore’s resident labour force is expected to become older¹, with workforce growth tapering off over time². Given this demographic shift and the rapid pace of technological and AI-driven changes, both employers and older workers will need to adapt. Continued investment in job redesign and skills upgrading will be essential to help older workers thrive in an evolving environment.

NTUC Calls on Government and Employers to Support Older Workers

With this backdrop, NTUC DSG Desmond Tan calls on employers to maintain and promote a range of fair, flexible, and practical work options that support older workers’ aspirations and needs, so they can continue working meaningfully and sustainably for as long as they choose.

NTUC DSG Desmond Tan also calls on employers to partner with NTUC and our unions to set up CTCs to support age-friendly job redesign. Employers can also tap on NTUC’s ecosystem to support their hiring needs and help workers build AI-related skills to adapt to new technologies.

Lastly, he calls on the Government to continue supporting employers to hire, train and retain older workers, such as through grants to improve age-friendly workplaces and enhancing the Senior Employment Credit.

These calls build on NTUC’s continuous engagement with older workers over the years, further reinforced by insights from a survey and focus group discussions conducted by NTUC in 2025. Two key findings stand out — firstly, that there the desire to work beyond 70 increases with age; secondly, older workers want more flexible work options.

Key Finding 1: Desire to Work Beyond 70 Increases with Age; Top Motivation Is to Stay Mentally and Physically Active

Older workers’ desire to work beyond 70 increases with age, driven mainly by their wish to stay mentally and physically active. An NTUC survey conducted from September to October 2025 with 591 respondents across all age groups found that over 46 per cent would like to work beyond the eventual re-employment age of 70³. Out of that 46 per cent of respondents, 66.7 per cent of them aged 64 and above said they want to continue working past 70, compared with 51 per cent of those aged 50 to 63.

The top motivation selected by respondents was the desire to maintain both mental and physical health through staying active, with the need for income to cover living expenses identified as the second most common motivation.

Broader labour market trends reinforce this finding. According to MOM’s Labour Force in Singapore Advance Release 2025, the employment rate among older workers aged 65 and above has increased from 24.7 per cent in 2015 to 31.5 per cent in 2025⁴, reflecting both a strong desire among older workers to stay economically active and the growing availability of opportunities that support continued employment.

Key Finding 2: Older Workers Want More Flexible Work Options

The same NTUC survey also found that older workers value choice and flexibility in work options or arrangements. 48 per cent of respondents preferred full-time re-employment, while 46 per cent of respondents preferred part-time re-employment.

Separately, in focus group discussions conducted by NTUC between April 2025 and October 2025 involving close to 500 participants across all age groups, many expressed a preference for more flexible working arrangements in their later working years. These included shorter working hours and alternative job roles, such as advisory or coaching roles.

DSG Desmond Tan said, “Many older workers tell me they want to keep working well into their senior years because they still want to contribute. What they’re asking for is more flexibility to keep adding value even as their needs change. As Singapore’s workforce ages, and as AI and digital technologies reshape jobs in every industry, tripartite partners — employers, unions, and the Government — need to step up.”

He added, “We must create the right conditions for older workers to stay productive, engaged, and employable. That means redesigning jobs thoughtfully, using technology to make workplace inclusive, and being intentional about offering flexible arrangements, fair opportunities, and structured pathways for skills upgrading. When we invest in our older workers, we don’t just increase labour participation, we strengthen our organisations with their experience, deepen our capabilities, and build a more resilient workforce ready for an AI enabled future. This is key to sustaining Singapore’s long-term competitiveness and economic strength.”

Visit to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH), A Company Championing Age-Inclusive and Technology-Driven Support for Older Workers

During his visit to TTSH, DSG Desmond Tan toured various initiatives that support TTSH’s healthcare workers, including their older workers. These included CTC projects undertaken with NTUC and HSEU, which form part of the company’s wider efforts to uplift the workforce. He also engaged healthcare staff across different functions, including those who have benefitted from these CTC Grant projects.

He was accompanied by TTSH Chief Executive Officer Adjunct Assistant Professor Tang Kong Choong, Chief Human Resource Officer Lillian Ho Lay Kuan, NTUC and HSEU President K Thanaletchimi, and HSEU union leaders. With a workforce of more than 10,000 staff, including 1,000 older workers, TTSH is an example of how age-inclusive policies and technological innovation can support senior workers in a fast-evolving healthcare environment.

Through its partnership with NTUC under the CTC Grant, TTSH has implemented two transformation projects which includes upscaling its PreSAGE Smart Predictive Patient Monitoring system (PreSAGE) which assists to notify their nurses early when patients are at risk of falls or coming off their hospital beds, allowing them to interject appropriately when notified. This has proven to be far more efficient, compared to the traditional methods of manually checking in on the patients at regular intervals. Through the CTC Grant, PreSAGE, which is currently only available at selected TTSH wards, will be scaled up to be included in other wards within the hospital. (Refer to Annex A for more information on the CTC Grant projects).

The CTC Grant projects leverage on AI and advanced technologies to improve workload distribution, reduce manual and administrative strain, and support safer and more efficient care delivery. These initiatives have delivered direct benefits to its nursing workforce, including older workers, by enabling them to contribute through higher value roles such as mentorship and workforce planning. (Refer to Annex B for quotes by TTSH older workers who have benefitted from the CTC Grant projects)

Beyond these transformation projects, TTSH has also put in place a comprehensive suite of age-inclusive workplace practices, including:

Early adoption of higher retirement and re‑employment ages, raising the retirement age to 64 and the re‑employment age to 69 by July 2025, ahead of national legislation.

Strong re‑employment outcomes, with about 98 per cent of eligible senior staff accepting re‑employment beyond the statutory retirement age.

Job redesign with targeted upskilling and progression pathways, enabling older workers to take on broader or redesigned roles and progress to higher job grades such as Patient Service Associates, Care Support Associates, and Therapy Assistants.

Lillian Ho Lay Kuan, Chief Human Resource Officer of TTSH, reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to supporting its senior workforce. She said, “Our older workers bring deep experience, care, and stability to the hospital. By redesigning roles, integrating AI and technology, and creating flexible work options, we continue to empower our workforce to thrive and deliver high quality care. Our partnership with NTUC and HSEU has been instrumental in accelerating this transformation.”

NTUC and HSEU President K Thanaletchimi said, “TTSH’s efforts show that when organisations plan ahead and redesign work with their employees in mind, the workforce, including its older workers can continue to contribute with confidence and purpose. HSEU remains committed to advancing the welfare and progression of our healthcare workers. We urge more employers across the sector to join HSEU and NTUC in driving meaningful transformation that empowers healthcare workers and strengthens care delivery.”