Many employers provide employees with various retirement benefits in the form of retirement and investment accounts or plans—including 401k plans, pension plans, and thrift savings plans (for federal employees)—sometimes with employer-matching of employee contributions.

Retirement benefits are generally discretionary and private employers are not obligated to provide them—or any other employee benefits. Most employees are also covered by Social Security—a retirement benefit administered by by the federal government—with eligibility for benefits beginning at age 62.

In Wisconsin, as in other states, employers may offer retirement benefits such as 401(k) plans, pension plans, and thrift savings plans, with the latter being specific to federal employees. These benefits are typically voluntary for private employers to provide, and they are not mandated by law to offer any retirement benefits. However, when employers do offer these plans, they often include features like employer-matching of employee contributions to incentivize participation and savings for retirement. Additionally, most employees in Wisconsin, as elsewhere in the United States, are covered by Social Security, which is a federal program providing retirement benefits. Workers can start receiving Social Security benefits as early as age 62, although full retirement age for full benefits depends on the year of birth. It's important to note that while employers are not required to offer retirement plans, those that do are subject to federal regulations, including the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which sets minimum standards to ensure that employee benefits are protected and provided fairly.