Employers and pension systems under pressure: Employees want to retire earlier

Working until the official retirement age? This prospect is rather unpopular among employees, according to a recent study by the Demographic Network (ddn). Of the 2,500 respondents, around 60% would like to be able to retire at 63 at the latest; more than a third even consider 61 or earlier to be the ideal retirement age. Meanwhile, not even 15% of respondents can imagine actually working until the age of 67. In view of this difficult situation, which could put additional pressure on both employers and the pension system, the Demographic Network also investigated under what circumstances employees would stay in their jobs longer. Most respondents initially cited freedom to choose their working hours (43%) or a higher salary (40%) as factors that could influence their decision. Other aspects included a reduction in stress and physical strain at work (39%), greater freedom to choose their workload (35%), and more appreciation from superiors (30%). In connection with the topic of retirement age, the Demographic Network concluded by examining the relationship between different generations and age groups in the workplace – and came to positive conclusions: relationships with younger and older colleagues are generally “largely harmonious, conflict-free, and supportive,” with only a minority of respondents reporting generational conflicts.

We were also interested in the following topics:

• Equality: 17.4% of women on the boards of 160 listed companies: This is the conclusion of the AllBright Report 2023, recently published by the German-Swedish foundation of the same name, which deals with the state of equality in management positions. More details and the full report can be found here.

• AI in the workplace: The ability to use AI skillfully and achieve good results is becoming increasingly important in the workplace. The Tagesspiegel (€) has summarized which AI skills are particularly relevant in management positions.

• Home office: Hardly a week goes by without a new contribution to the discussion on the topic of home office vs. office work. Now, a new study has found that while many companies expect great benefits from a return to the office, productivity in most companies is not reduced by home office.

• Four-day week: The four-day week is as hotly debated as home office regulations. The Tagesschau has researched the advantages and disadvantages for employers and employees who have already established this model and illustrated them with an example.

On a related note: You can register for our CHECKPOINT Political Consulting, the career fair for entering and switching to political consulting, on November 2, 2023, in Berlin. More information, participating consultancies, and tickets can be found here. By the way: All readers of our newsletter receive a €5 discount on tickets with the code: “CKPTNewsletter.”

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