More older employees - Experts: Older employees need support
Flexible working hours, support in planning retirement, and higher salaries: These factors can help keep the Generation 50plus in the workforce longer, according to a survey by the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK). Nearly one third of the employees in this age group want to retire from their current employment before the regular retirement age - the results of the non-representative survey. Over 1,000 employed persons above 50 years were surveyed nationwide.
"Older employees need respect and support. This is often lacking," says DGB Landesvorsitzende Susanne Wingertzahn. "We have known for a long time that many employees are afraid they won't be able to keep up their current employment until retirement."
Of the 1.49 million people in Rhineland-Palatinate who are socially insured, 1.8% were 65 years old or older at the end of the previous year, according to Joachim Rübel from the Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency. A year earlier, the proportion was 1.6%, and ten years ago it was only 0.6%.
The number of retirees in employment is increasing
"Due to the rising pension age, the age structure in companies will continue to change. In the past five years, the number of Rhineland-Palatinate employees over 65 has increased by 66%," states the leader of the TK-Landesvertretung, Jörn Simon. Two thirds of the employees over 65 could already be receiving pensions, Simon says.
Currently, the retirement age is exactly 66 years. The birth year 1958 can therefore retire this year without a reduction.
The reasons why people continue to work in retirement are varied: The pension does not cover or cannot be paid due to a short social insurance period - or they want to continue working, as Simon says.
Education and health protection are important
"Older employees are often well-educated and can build on decades of professional experience," says Rübel. "However, many of them prematurely leave employment or find it difficult to get back on the labor market when unemployed."
Continuing education is an important preventive approach, as is health protection, Rübel adds. Older employees participate in further training less often than average, according to Rübel. And health risks are particularly high for older people.
Absences due to illness increase after 20
"Younger employees are often absent less frequently," says Jan Rößler from AOK Rheinland-Palatinate. Older employees, on the other hand, are not as frequently absent. But when they are ill, it lasts significantly longer. Absences due to illness increase steadily after 20 years, and after 50 years, the increases are significant.
TK-insured employees in Rhinland-Palatinate had an average of 27 sick days per person in 2023. The average for those under 50 was only 17 days, according to spokeswoman Cornelia Benzing.
At Barmer, it was over 29 sick days for those over 50 and 20.5 for those under 50. "Both groups are slightly above the federal average, where the same trend is recognizable," says Barmer Landesgeschäftsführerin Dunja Kleis.
Investments by companies in good working conditions pay off
DGB-Landeschefin Wingertszahn emphasizes: "Companies are responsible for shaping working conditions in a way that they do not make people sick." This refers to workplace design, physical stress, time pressure and work density "and understanding how to cope with rapidly changing requirements."
Through corporate health management, problem areas can be identified and addressed," says Simon from the TK. This investment also pays off for small and medium-sized enterprises. The TK even has specifically trained demography consultants for this purpose. The Federal Employment Agency also offers such services, adds Rübel.
- To support older employees in staying in the labor market, the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK) suggests factors such as flexible working hours, retirement planning assistance, and higher salaries.
- DGB Landesvorsitzende Susanne Wingertzahn notes that respect and support for older employees are often lacking, contributing to their fear of maintaining current employment until retirement.
- According to Joachim Rübel from the Federal Employment Agency's Rhineland-Palatinate Regional Directorate, the number of socially insured individuals aged 65 or older in Rhineland-Palatinate increased by 66% over the past five years, with 1.8% reaching this age in 2023.
- Jörn Simon, the leader of the TK-Landesvertretung, mentions that many employees over 65 could already be receiving pensions, as they are more likely to retire early or due to insufficient social insurance periods.
- Health protection and continued education are crucial for older employees, as they often face higher health risks and participate in further training less frequently than their younger counterparts, according to Joachim Rübel from the Federal Employment Agency.
