To ensure their viability, most European countries have set out timetables for reforming their pension systems, with the aim of upping their respective retirement ages. The question now is how to keep older people in work until this age, or even beyond. In Spain, the government has wasted no time encouraging employees to postpone their retirement by offering them a bonus and an increase in their pension. This measure served as inspiration to Belgium, where the idea of a lump sum paid in the event of a three-year career extension is currently being weighed up. But while companies will have to keep employees working longer, they will also have to focus their efforts on working conditions.
Negotiation of a national interprofessional agreement (ANI) in France
The social partners are currently negotiating ad hoc measures to accompany the recent increase in the legal retirement age from 62 to 64 and to prevent, in particular, wear and tear in the workplace. The ANI that is expected to be reached will then be transposed into a labour bill in early 2024. At companies, some agreements have already been signed ahead of time. While they are still very much focused on supporting employees as they reach the end of their careers, an effort is being made to focus on training and job retention, as well as on preventing arduous work. The automotive supplier Michelin, for its part, took advantage of negotiations over its agreement on the management of jobs and career paths (GEPP) for 2024-2026 to review its end-of-career support measures. The aerospace and defence group Thales did the same when it signed its agreement on working hours. HR innovations are therefore expected in France in this area, especially as the employment of older workers represents an opportunity amid a shortage of talent. In this respect, we can already point to the initiative of the strategy and organisation consultancy Eurogroup Consulting in France and that of Lufthansa Technik in Germany.