Phased Retirement after the Pension Protection Act

The retirement playbook is being rewritten by demographics—an older workforce working longer—and by the law—the 2006 Pension Protection Act, which increased options for flexible retirement in companies with defined-benefit plans. Even before this law, phased retirement under defined contribution plans and through rehiring retirees was a growing trend. While the viability of phased retirement depends on the nature of the job, companies should start by looking at their own talent challenges, not their compensation issues. Case studies of YourEncore and Bon Secours Richmond Health System show what these two companies are doing with phased retirement.