The MOPACT Coordination Team The University of Sheffield Department of Sociological Studies Northumberland Road Sheffield, S10 2TU, UK T: +44 (0)114 222

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!



Documents

The MOPACT Coordination Team The University of Sheffield Department of Sociological Studies Northumberland Road Sheffield, S10 2TU, UK T: +44 (0)114 222