the mopact coordination team the university of sheffield department of sociological studies...

The MOPACT Coordination Team

The University of Sheffield Department of Sociological

Studies Northumberland Road

Sheffield, S10 2TU, UK T: +44 (0)114 222 6458 F: +44 (0)114 276 8125

E: [email protected]

www.mopact.group.shef.ac.uk

Funded by the European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme FP7-SSH-2012-1/No 320333

Policies and Practices in Germany, Spain and the UK

Andreas Cebulla, David Wilkinson, Ana Rincon-Aznar (NIESR)

Jürgen Bauknecht, Gerhard Naegele (TU Dortmund)

Extending Working Lives



• Taking stock– Prevalence: flexible working, occupational health– Innovation: redeployment, corporate value campaigns

• Transferability potential and prospects– Probably high as market driven and informed by ‘globalised’

business strategies– But context dependent (labour market, public policy, regime politics)– Economic conditions and public policy co-determine corporate

policies

Findings



Germany Spain UK

Age-neutral/blind recruitment

Variable (older women) √

Partial/phased retirement

Sabbaticals, time banks Reduced hours (new workers)

Retirement planning

Flexible working Temporary work, extended annual leave,

lifetime working account

√ Esp. carers (all ages)

Redeployment Job/task rotation √ √

Skills transfer Mixed-age teams Old-to-young workplace mentoring

Corporate Policies



Germany Spain UK

Training & lifelong learning Corporate training institute; 50+

apprenticeships; coaching

LLL; no age limit on

apprenticeships

Occupational health Medical check ups, nutritional advice, sports, corporate

health days, mental health counselling

Ergonomics, medical health checks

Physiotherapy, wellbeing strategies

On-site recreational facilities Pool tables, internet

Corporate values campaign √

Corporate Policies



Germany Spain UK

Labour market activation

Disability rules tightened (“half-disability”); end to status security

Disability benefit reduced; access rules tightened

Access to disability benefits tightened

Pension age reforms

Age up (65 to 67: 2012 to 2031). Min. contributions: 45 years (63 rising to 65)

Age up (65 to 67: 2013 to 2029). Min. contributions: 38.5 years

Age up (60/65 to 68: 2024 to 2046). Min. contributions: 30 yearsDefault retirement age gone from 2011

Early retirement -3.6% pension penalty p.a. < 65

-7% pension penalty p.a. < 65

Public Policies affecting older workers



Germany Spain UK

Hiring incentives Employer exemption from u/e insurance if hiring 55+ year olds.

€10,000 subsidy to employers taking of people with disability

Employer social security reduced by 40% for workers 59+ employed 4+ years.

60+ on permanent contracts: 50% reduced plus 10pp per additional year of age

N/A

Public Policies affecting older workers



• Germany: increased demand for labour across economy benefiting older workers

• UK: economy operating below capacity with neutral-to-adverse effect on older workers

• Spain: increased supply of labour faces lower demand -> more unemployed older workers

Economic conditions



Germany Spain UK0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Labour Market Participation Rates 55-64 year olds

2005 2010 2013Source: OECD.StatExtracts

%

Labour market conditions



Germany Spain UK0

5

10

15

20

25

Unemployment Rates 55-64 year olds

2005 2010 2013

Source: OECD.StatExtracts

%

Labour market conditions



• Transferability = – Business motivation and drivers +– Public policy +– Economic conditions +– Socio-cultural context.

• Focus of business case studies

Looking ahead



Thank you!



the mopact coordination team the university of sheffield department of sociological studies...

Documents

years age

european commissions

framework programme

pension age reforms

age limit

years default retirement

corporate policies findings

corporate health days