Support staff offer some of the most critical roles within a company. They help keep an organization running and support the people that work there. The dedication support staff have to companies may lead to feelings of loss in retirement. Here’s a breakdown of support staff and ways they can transition from working into retirement.
What are characteristics of support staff?
Support staff are highly loyal individuals that are typically bought-in to the company vision. They are people-servers, task-oriented, empathetic and extremely dedicated. Support staff desire to do their job well. Much of work is “behind the scenes”, so occasionally they may feel underappreciated.
Here are some examples of support staff:
*Administrative Personnel, Secretaries, Human Resources
*Customer Service Representatives
*Nurses, Medical Staff, Dental Hygenists
*Paralegals, Legal Assistants
*Technicians, IT Personnel
How do support staff view retirement?
The way support staff considers retirement usually varies greatly. Oftentimes, the morale at their company dictates whether or not they are anticipating retirement. We’re seeing more and more support staff, such as nurses, forced to leave or retire early because of a shift in working conditions – leaving a lack of closure or feeling of disappointment upon departure.
How do support staff view leisure?
Support staff tend to vacation very well. They look forward to much-needed breaks and downtime away from the office. However, when they are away, support staff may feel a sense of worry or concern about the duties that need to be accomplish while away.
What can support staff expect in retirement?
While many support staff welcome a new, slower-paced life of retirement, they can often miss the gratification of serving others. Support staff may long for the feeling of being needed since they added value to companies for long periods of time.
The most important thing support staff should do is continue to serve in retirement. Find ways to re-establish your identity not as a role-player at your company, but as an individual that is adding value to other people.
Don’t buy the lie your value is any less now that you are retired.
Want more?
Listen to the full episode of Retire Repurposed here:
Jerrid Sebesta
Co-Founder of Retire Repurposed
