Desjardins Financial Security Group Retirement Savings has created a two-day retirement planning workshop to help employees tackle the financial and psycho-social aspects of leaving the workforce.

Called Destination Retirement, the interactive workshop incorporates dynamic learning modules that help participants deal with the complicated issues and decisions required for a successful retirement.

Each seminar is presented by a Desjardins education advisor who is specifically trained in retirement planning.

“This workshop helps make retirement a reality for employees,” says Karrina Dusablon, director of education centre and global management at Desjardins. “We teach them what to expect in this next phase of their lives and to identify the questions to ask.”

After the two days, participants will have the tools required to set their financial house in order and to handle the unique personal challenges associated with retirement, DFS says.

Participants learn how to design an action plan that suits their financial and lifestyle goals and the confidence to seek further professional advice if necessary.

“According to Statistics Canada, we will likely see a decline in people entering the workforce over the next decade,” says Dusablon. “Our program also helps employers prepare for large workforce reductions. It gets them thinking about how a phased retirement could help them manage the challenges associated with skill transfers or shortages.”

The program has the flexibility to meet the particular needs of employers, DFS says. For example, the program can be presented on or off-site, on weekdays or weekends and can also include spouses if desired.

“We’re very excited about this new venture because not only does it empower employees, it also demonstrates that employers care about their people,” says Dusablon. “Retirement is the destination and DFS is providing employees the map to get there.”

IE