Presently there are no plans to retrench any employees [in South Africa].

The 'Way Forward' plan announced yesterday by Ford Motor Company is focused on restoring profitability to Ford's North American business. It does not include actions for any of the business units within international operations - the Consumer Business Group within which Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) operates.

Last year we produced 98 and this will increase to 24 000 this year.

Increasingly, employees across all life stages - but especially Singles and Young Families - are viewing the workplace as the site of choice for purchasing investment and protection products. As this trend continues, expect employers to recognize that the 'one-size-fits-most' approach may no longer be an effective way to communicate to their employees.

In the interim, certainly this week, they are being paid and we're meeting with the employees over the weekend to draw up longer-term plans. We're going to do our very level best to take care of our people.

As employees shoulder more responsibility for selecting and funding their own benefits, they need information and decision support tools at their fingertips to make informed decisions. Because employees experience many trigger events throughout their careers, they require education and tools at each major life stage to ensure that the information they are receiving is pertinent to them.