ELEVEN TEN PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE) RETIREMENT READY Clean PPE is important and required to wear while in a work zone, but it’s not just for the workplace. Living a Safety-Driven lifestyle while off the clock helps to keep you and your loved ones protected from all sorts of environmental hazards. Check out the chart below to find some suggestions for at-home PPE. In The Field Head Protection Eye Protection High-Visibility (Hi-Viz) Gear Protective Footwear At Home Based on today’s life expectancy, and the uncertain funding for the future of the U.S. Social Security System, you will need supplemental retirement income to sustain your living expenses for up to 20 years or more after you stop working. Flagger Force employees become eligible to receive retirement savings in their Fringe Benefits account for every hour worked on a Prevailing Wage job from day one of employment. We recognize that Prevailing Wage jobs sometimes offer additional pay and benefits for employees and we work hard to win as much of this type of work from our clients as possible. Employees assigned to these jobs already have a jump-start on saving for their future thanks to the Fringe Benefits program we use. Most of the work in our industry is not Prevailing Wage, so you will likely need to find other ways to save for retirement, such as through our 401K program. After 90 days of service, Flagger Force employees can choose to contribute pre-tax dollars to a 401K account. Event better, after the end of the fiscal year, Flagger Force will generously match 25% of contributions for active employees, up to 1% of each employee’s total income! For example, for every $4 you contribute, Flagger Force will add another $1 to round that up to $5. That is hard to beat, guaranteed 25% rate of return on your savings, even before they are invested in the market! It is an effective way to accelerate your savings without paying taxes on them, and a great way to earn “free money” from your company! 2017 – 2018 However, the vast majority of our field employees are not currently contributing to their retirement savings via our 401K plan. It pains us to think of the people that are missing out on saving for their future and the amount those savings could grow over time. Even if you can only afford to put away $20 a week, you should consider enrolling. With Flagger Force’s matching program, that adds up to $1,300 invested for your retirement in just a year’s time. If you consider a moderately aggressive 6% annual compound rate of return on your money, and you continue saving nothing more than your $20-a-week contributions for the next 30 years, you will have contributed slightly over $40,000, the company would have contributed over $10,000 and your total savings after 30 years would be approximately $200,000. In time, you may find that you don’t even notice that $20 from your paycheck and you are able to gradually increase your contributions in a set dollar amount or percentage of your pay with every pay increase, or as often as you choose. Many workers believe that they will never be able to stop working, and plan to work long beyond the average retirement age. Some people think they are too young to have to think about retirement, while those who are nearing the end of their careers think it is too late to do anything about it. No matter what your current age is, it is the right time to take action for your future. The good news is with a very minimal monetary commitment, you can begin to build your nest egg. We care greatly about our employees and want to help you set yourself up for success. Take advantage of Flagger Force’s retirement programs now, and reap the benefits later. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Investment return, principal value, and yields of an investment will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. These investments are not insured or guaranteed by the PDIC, Federal Reserve, or any other government agency. NOTE | For more information, refer to your PenServ materials or call 800.849.4001, between 8 am – 5 pm EST. Safety glasses protect your precious baby blues from potential work zone hazards, such as flying objects or debris, tools, and chemicals. Protective footwear helps to keep you safe from work zone hazards, such as falling heavy objects, exposed sharp metal, pot holes, and live electric wires. Hard hats keep your head safe from falling objects and the unseen above while on a job site. Reflective shirts and vests are not only a staple in work zones, they allow those working on the job site or going through one, to see you. Reflective pants help to ensure your whole body is visible and guarantees a human shape is seen by passing motorists. Wear safety glasses when mowing the lawn and sunglasses during bright days. Wear steel toe boots when working on construction projects around your house. When riding a bike, be sure to wear a bicycle helmet to protect your head  — you never know when an accident will happen. Running or walking at night is dangerous. Make sure you’re seen by wearing reflective outerwear.