Early and phased retirement in European companies

The Foundation’s Establishment Survey on Working Time and Work–Life Balance (ESWT) 2004–2005 set out to map the use of a variety of working time arrangements in companies, to assess the reasons for their introduction and their impact. This report analyses the data from the survey to address the issue of phased or early retirement, exploring the institutional frameworks of these schemes as well as the influencing factors specific to the establishment. Apart from the issue of whether such schemes are available in the companies examined, the analysis also provides information on the proportion of employees eligible for early or phased retirement and the reasons for making use of such schemes. The deployment of both schemes is examined from a management and employee representative perspective.