Health & Safety and Better Pensions can go together.
🇨🇿 The latest reforms in Czech Republic will address the issue of making easier for people in demanding jobs (eg industrial, machinery, factories) to retire early, especially when the trend is to have higher retirement ages. There’s a cost impact on employers, but this should all be part of the employer cost proposition for such workers.
Czech Republic divides all jobs into Groups 1-4 for Health & Safety purposes. Group 4 is for most demanding/dangerous jobs. Higher group workers are protected by legislation eg health checks, employer duties etc. I find this grouping approach quite enlightening, and, within the EU, it looks like only Slovak Republic have something similar due to their shared histories.
The legislation will require employers to provide additional 3-4% pension contributions for Grade 3 workers. This will facilitate early retirement savings. Employers already have pay higher pension social security contributions for Groups 3 and 4, so this is just an evolution of an existing approach – and directs contributions and employer costs to those most in need and with tougher working conditions.
Good work in Czech Republic. Multinationals/employers in the country should be preparing for the forthcoming changes – higher costs but but better pensions.