Lanjri still sees obstacles to working after retirement age | Interior

Those who have reached retirement age should of course be able to enjoy their old age, Lanjri emphasises. But those who want to continue working for a few more years afterwards should be able to do so. And that is not always obvious. According to the CD&V politician, there are still obstacles in the way for ordinary employees and statutory civil servants.

Those who simply want to retire at the age of 65 must report this to the pension services in advance. If, on the other hand, someone wants to continue working and the boss agrees, the contract will continue. After all, the contract is only terminated if one of the parties takes the initiative to do so.

According to Lanjri, however, that is where the shoe pinches. Suppose an employee wants to continue working, but the employer does not agree, then the employer must give the dismissal. If this happens after the retirement age, the notice period is limited to a maximum of 26 weeks, regardless of the length of the career. In addition, it is possible that the notice period will be replaced by a more limited cancellation fee.

The CD&V politician has therefore prepared a bill, which is on the agenda of the competent parliamentary committee on Tuesday, to simply abolish that shortened period and lower compensation. Someone with twenty years of service would therefore receive 62 weeks notice instead of 26 weeks. However, it must remain possible to deviate by mutual agreement and to shorten the period.

Statutory civil servants also collide with rules if they want to continue working beyond their retirement age. This mainly concerns administrative hassle, with a written application that is only valid for 1 year, and which must therefore be renewed. Lanjri proposes a statutory amendment to change that. She has tabled a resolution to that effect. This should give the competent minister the opportunity to consult with the social partners and the administration.