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ARTICLE · 14 OCTOBER 2020

Is It Time To Put Compulsory Retirement Age Out To Pasture?

Philip Lee
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COVID-19 may have dominated the workplace agenda in recent months – but employers in Ireland can't lose sight of any of the other issues arising in the course of the employer-employee relationship.

IrelandEmployment and HR
Patrick Walshe
Patrick Walshe

COVID-19 may have dominated the workplace agenda in recent months – but employers in Ireland can't lose sight of any of the other issues arising in the course of the employer-employee relationship.

Of these, one of the most challenging is the subject of retirement age. We are seeing an increasing number of cases being taken in the courts and the Workplace Relations Commission on the subject.

This issue is going to persist - and may actually lead to a dramatic change in the manner in which we think of retirement.

For many years, a retirement age of 65 was largely uncontroversial in Ireland – and employers and employees alike accepted that an employee would step down from their role at that point. Among other things, it suited employers to make room for the next generation of employees and it suited retiring staff because they could avail of the then-State Pension at the age of 65.

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