Phased retirement

One way to ease your way into retirement is by reducing your work schedule to four days per week, then make it three days or work only 30 hours a week instead of 40 or 50. This phased strategy will give you the opportunity to trim your hours little by little and increase your leisure time as you get closer to your retirement age.

There are various employers that offer formal phased retirement programs that allow their employees to reduce their work schedules or responsibilities prior to retirement. However, most future retirees have to negotiate and arrange their phased retirement based on individual criteria.