Lidl Ireland is set to become the first company in Ireland to announce the removal of the mandatory retirement age clause for current and prospective employees.
The discounter noted that it is giving all employees the option to continue their service beyond the current retirement age of 65 years old effective in the coming weeks.
It also highlighted that those who choose to continue their service can opt to extend their pension plan.
The decision will also allow the retailer to attract 'more mature' and 'life-experienced' talent as well as offering more flexibility to current employees.
The announcement comes as Taoiseach Micheál Martin, announced that major changes to the state pension system are on the way, which would allow employees more flexibility with regards to retirement and incentivising workers to continue to work until seventy years of age.
Workshops
Lidl noted that it is also committed to supporting employees through workshops across the island of Ireland working with the Retirement Council of Ireland and LaterLife.
The courses and workshops provided offer Lidl employees a holistic approach to retirement planning encouraging employees to think seriously about all aspects of their retirement, it added.
Speaking about the announcement and experience working as a Lidl Customer Assistant and Till Responsible People (TRP), Lidl Ennis, Bernadette Gilligan, said, “I’ve been working with Lidl for almost 20 years. I’ve worked with so many people across different nationalities and managers, who have been very approachable and understanding over the years.
"I’m sixty-five in April next year and am so pleased that Lidl have made this announcement on retirement. Not everyone wants to retire at sixty-five, and if you’re in good health, continuing to work keeps your mind ticking and working. I think it’s important that we have the choice to continue to work and it’s brilliant that we’re getting that option.
The State Pension System
Speaking about the announcement and Lidl’s new upcoming policy change, Maeve McCleane, chief people officer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland, said, “As one of the largest workforces in the country, we are aware of the broad scope of employees and age groups that work at Lidl, and we want to support those who would like to choose to continue working with us and are not limited by the mandatory retirement age.
"At Lidl, we are really proud to continue to introduce people-centric policy updates that recognise the needs of our employees and are constantly evolving all the time as they progress through different stages of their lives and unlock a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered.”
Read More: Mean Gender Pay Gap Falls 30% In One Year At Lidl Ireland
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