Retiring - Official Last Day of Service

Axel

Can anyone tell me the official last day of service when you retire?

I am due to retire in three week time. My 65th brithday is on a Thursday so do I retire at close play on the Wednesday or do I have to work on the Thursday. It is quite important as I am working away from home and I need to know my rights and book a flight home. I have already asked personnel, three weeks ago and again two weeks ago, and both times they have said that they will look into it and get back to me!

Any advice would be appreciated.

Axel

Errata

As nobody has to retire at state retirement age, I would guess the terms of your contract regarding notice would have primacy. When did you give notice of leaving ?

dunstonh

The last day of service is what it says. It is the last day of your service.

Some employers may finish on your 65th. Some may do it to the end of the week or month. Some may let you decide. So, you need personnel to give you that answer.

Axel

I have now carried out some research, thought I may have got a quick answer here, so for anyone else interested:

Retire means stop working. Retirement is when you stop working and commence your retirement, so if you retire at 65, 60, 55 or whatever age your retirement starts at midnight on the morning of your retirement birthday. In my case I am 65 on a Thursday so my retirement starts at midnight on the Wednesday, therfore my last day at work is Wednesday the day before my 65th birthday.

Axel

Errata

That's interesting. People are usually required by their employers to give notice of their leaving. For instance, if four weeks notice is required, and given, then the last working day is dependent on that, not on the date of a birthday. Employers have no great interest in whether someone is retiring from all employment or not; they do have an interest in a mutually agreed leaving date.

getmore4less

I though for retirement there were some extra rules.
Allthough this arera will probably have been effected by fairly recent age related legislation.

Some guidence here
http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/d/t/6683_Age_and_the_Workplace_AWK.pdf

and in this note
http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/JC-What-you-need-to-know-when-dismissing-an-employee.htm

For dismissals on the grounds of retirement, employers are required to implement a 'planned retirement' procedure as the employee approaches retirement age. They must give the employee at least 6 months written notice of the proposed retirement date, and consider any request by the employee not to retire


So not as straight forward as just stopping work on the normal retirement date.

Axel

Just some clarity here. The company wrote to me about 6 months ago and explained the options.

1. My right to request to work beyond the date and they would set up a meeting to discuss etc.

2. If you do not wish to work on no further action is needed and you will retire on the date of your next birthday etc.

The original question was not about my rights to request to work on, it was simply to understand what "retire on your birthday" meant and what was my last day of service. I now know the answer.

Axel

NAR

Axel wrote: »

The company wrote to me about 6 months ago and explained the options.
1. My right to request to work beyond the date and they would set up a meeting to discuss etc.
2. If you do not wish to work on no further action is needed and you will retire on the date of your next birthday etc.
The original question was not about my rights to request to work on, it was simply to understand what "retire on your birthday" meant and what was my last day of service. I now know the answer.
Axel

Surely this (highlighted in red) answers your question? You are not 65 at midnight the day before.