Dissertation_Paula Aleksandrowicz_12 ... - Jacobs University

early retirement scheme, freeze on new hiring, freeze on filling vacancies, redundancy payments scheme,
cancellation agreements, outplacement services)?
Exit from Employment
• Do older workers leave your firm usually upon filling standard retirement age, or earlier? Along what
pathways does that happen? E.g.:
- dismissals;
- giving in one´s notice;
- standard old-age pension;
- seniority pension (´flexible retirement age´);
- early retirement scheme;
- pre-retirement scheme;
- work incapacity pension;
- old-age pension for women;
- ´57 rule´;
- …?
• Is there a latent age threshold in your firm upon reaching which older workers usually leave?
• In your opinion, what are the reasons for the early/regular/late exit of older workers from your firm?
• How have the pathways of exit from your firm evolved during the last 10-15 years? [Ask the firm for
numbers of persons participating in the early retirement scheme and for general turnover statistics]
Early retirement options provided by the firm
• What pathways of early exit are provided by your firm? What are the framing conditions (e.g. blocked or
part-time model of the early retirement scheme, duration of the ATZ contract, maximum quota of persons
participating in ATZ, compensation for pension deductions, redundancy payments, wage increases within
the ATZ contract, assessment basis for the contribution to the old-age pension insurance)? Are ensuing
vacancies generally filled?
• To what extent are those measures utilised by the employees? [Ask for statistical data!]
• Did your firm make use of the pre-retirement scheme or the ´59 rule´ in the past?
• Usually, who initiates early exit – firm representatives or the employee? What are the reasons for that?
Why is the firm/the individual worker interested in early exit?
Impact of legislative regulations upon early exit
• Have pension reforms altered early exit behaviour and preferences of workers in your firm?
• Has the personnel policy in your firm reacted to that altered early exit behaviour or preferences?
- no;
- yes, in the form of better integration of older workers;
- yes, in the form of larger incentives to early exit, e.g. in the form of higher severance payments;
- ...
• Have past or currently debated pension reforms had an impact upon early exit pathways offered by your
firm, or do you expect an impact thereof in future?
• Is a replacement to the early retirement scheme about to expire by 2010 currently discussed in your firm?
Does the debated model consider the divergent career paths of men and women?
• How should the pension system look like (e.g. with regard to the early retirement scheme) in order to
facilitate personnel policy towards older workers in your firm?
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