When it comes to the shortage of skilled workers, there is currently a debate about whether more people should work until they officially retire.
(Photo: dpa)
Dusseldorf First Chancellor Olaf Scholz wished that more employees would work until their official retirement age. Then Labor Minister Hubertus Heil added to the pension debate and demanded in the “Bild am Sonntag” that companies should increasingly hire older workers. This should help to combat the shortage of skilled workers.
In the letters from the Handelsblatt readership on this debate, there are many who have no intention of retiring early. As one reader even writes: “It is a moral obligation to make your labor available to the market if you still have it, and not to let the social community feed you if you don’t have to.”
But there are also people who, due to the stress at work, “definitely can no longer work for physical reasons”, a reader objects. That’s why another asks: “Why aren’t professionals of retirement age free to decide whether they want to continue working?”
In order to combat the shortage of skilled workers, the Handelsblatt readers also have a few other suggestions, such as greater integration of skilled workers from abroad or strengthening dual training.
We have put together a selection for you from the letters from the Handelsblatt readers.
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30 instead of 60 hours a week
“Yes, the older people who still want to be active in the labor market have a lot of useful expert knowledge. Using them would help.
Companies have to become more flexible for this: When I’m 55 or 60 years old, I don’t want to work 60 to 70 hours a week anymore. Performance will then no longer (cannot) be achieved through continuous high performance (or even overload). Rather, perhaps 15 to 30 hours are appropriate, spread over two, three or four days.
I myself work with many part-timers. All prejudices are humbug. The entrepreneurs not only have to be economically courageous, but also when it comes to personnel strategy.”
Thomas Probst
After all, it was the idea of the SPD
“The behavior of the two gentlemen can be called unabashed. After all, it was the SPD that caused the premature departure of specialist staff with the pension without deductions after 45 years of contributions. That would have to be withdrawn.
We need to integrate more skilled workers from abroad. It would be helpful if the requirements for qualifications were not raised so extremely.”
Wolfgang Koebler
>> Read about this: Olaf Scholz would like more employees to work until the age of 67. His party is partly to blame for the trend towards early retirement.
Three measures against the shortage of skilled workers
“Personally, I have absolutely no intention of retiring ‘earlier’, as this is out of the question for me anyway for personal reasons.
In my opinion, the recent requests made by Heil and Scholz are gross nonsense. You can’t force companies to hire older workers if they don’t do it of their own free will.
On the other hand, tax incentives could be created, among other things, to keep highly qualified specialists in the company; in our company, for example, we try to retain excellent senior key account managers who would normally ‘early retire’ at 63.
There are only three measures that can counteract the shortage of skilled workers: 1) Massive strengthening of dual training in Germany, including raising its social prestige. 2) Abolition of the nonsensical numerus clausus – a natural selection could alternatively be done by the universities themselves in the first semesters. 3) Massive recruitment of foreign high potentials – Germany must be made more attractive as an immigration country for highly qualified people, in direct competition with the USA and Canada.
The rigid – fixed – retirement age must be abolished and replaced by a flexible model.”
Sven Petran
A pariah in the industry
“The shortage of skilled workers is often homemade. For two years I have been looking for a job in the automotive industry with my training as a toolmaker, mechanical engineer with additional business studies, further training as an online editor, product manager, web administrator and many other skills. As a key account manager in small and medium-sized companies, I managed the OEMs and 1st tiers there for more than 20 years.
Today, at the age of 60, with a possible six more years of work before retirement, I am a pariah in the industry. Despite countless applications and help from headhunters, I haven’t found a job, even though I’m fully capable of working at the age of 60.
My impression is that I’m being sorted out because of my age, although older employees in particular have decisive advantages. Unfortunately, young is trendy. For many enterprising older professionals, the only option is to become self-employed or work as a truck driver or nurse.”
Oliver Denk
A moral obligation
“I am 62 years old, have been working for 46 years and intend to continue working until after my statutory retirement age of 66 years and 5 months.
It is a moral obligation to give your labor power to the market if you still have it, and not to let the social community feed you if you don’t need it. Who is supposed to provide the services that the older generation wants and needs, but at the same time people are able to retire earlier and still be able to work?”
Ernest Kranert
It is not possible to generalize about the age limit
“Olaf Scholz is good to talk, of course there are more than enough pensioners who can or want to continue working, but things are different for some. People who have worked in manual trades since the age of 14 definitely can no longer work for physical reasons. A generalization of the age limit is not at all possible from this point of view.
On the subject of a lack of skilled workers in principle: In Germany, a professional career is far too often dependent on the parental home. At school, too, there is often no personal support at all, only the curriculum is ticked off. Anyone who does not have at least the and the grade in subject XY fails. Basically, a system of general education is good, but not in this form. Schools only get really good support selectively. As parents, we experience first-hand every day what works and what doesn’t. Far too often it’s about hiring dates for teachers or permanent positions, etc., not about what’s REALLY urgent, the whole system can’t work like that.”
Mirko Hensgen
Why I don’t retire earlier
“I love my job and I’m glad that I don’t have to keep trying to find the ‘balance’ between ‘work’ and ‘life’. My work is part of my life. And then there is the matter of wanting to support my children financially until they finish their studies. But what is the most important point: I am healthy.”
Christopher Andexlinger
It takes a rational employer
“I worked until retirement age. At the time, you needed a rational employer for something like that. When I was 45, a CEO told me that he would take me on but would fire me at the latest when I was 55.”
Walter Neuschitzer
An asset for everyone
“Why bureaucracy again? Why not let professionals of retirement age freely decide whether they want to continue working? Namely between employer and employee. Passing on specialist knowledge to younger colleagues is an asset for everyone: for the company, for the younger colleague and a psychological pat for the ego of the ‘not yet’ retiree who feels fit.’
Barbara Schmidt
>> Read also: Heils mockery – The Minister of Labor wants to distract from his own mistakes
Who wants to keep working?
“The question has to be: Do I want to keep working? I’m almost 60 years old and I’m thinking about new challenges, but not about retirement. Shaking my head, I follow the discussion, which I believe is being started from the wrong side.
Those who can and want to should continue to contribute their experience, regardless of age. Therefore, we should start the discussion with the question: who wants to continue working? A different way of thinking begins with the first right question. That would be desirable.”
Egon Wiedekind
My decision!
“I would have liked to have worked longer if there hadn’t been an incentive to leave.
The factors that are important to me in order to work longer: excellent manager, good team, free organization of working hours/holidays (also with an adjusted salary), further training opportunities.
As soon as the minimum retirement age has been reached, it should be possible to opt out at any time (if the above factors no longer apply). My decision!”
Gerhard Lichtenthaler
A condensed debate
“The debate about when to retire seems shortened to me. If you want to combat the shortage of skilled workers, you also have to think about the abolition of spouse splitting. The advantages and effects of such a tax law reform have already been sufficiently researched and discussed. A modern tax law should not create systematic incentives to not work.”
Gloria Gaupmann
If you enjoy your work, you will be there longer
“How many different professions and jobs are there? There are so many different working time situations. The system is too rigid, and those who are forced to work will probably perform less or less, and some people can no longer do it. The view of this is far too academic and subject to a different reality in non-office-bound workplaces.
… and if you enjoy your work, you’ll be there longer. Employers should take that into account.”
Armin Schoenau
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More: Last week, Handelsblatt readers debated how Germany could save even more energy.