Lidl Ireland removes mandatory retirement age for current and prospective employees
Decision will also allow the retailer to attract more mature and life-experienced talent as well as offering more flexibility to current employees
Print9 August 2022
Lidl Ireland is giving all employees the option to continue their service beyond the current retirement age of sixty-five years old effective in the coming weeks. This makes the retailer the first company in Ireland to announce the removal of the mandatory retirement age clause for current and prospective employees.
Lidl currently offers a pension programme to all employees, and those who choose to continue their service can opt to extend their pension plan on an individual basis. 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 retailer 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.
Its 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.
Lidl’s plans to remove the mandatory retirement age is part of its industry-leading benefits package designed with inclusivity in mind including dedicated menopause support resources for employees and line managers, paid time off for employees affected by early pregnancy loss or miscarriage, fertility leave, maternity leave, adoptive leave, paternity leave, parental leave, fostering leave and carers’ leave. The new package is designed to support and develop employees, ensuring that they can achieve their potential whilst balancing the demands of taking time out of work to care for their families.
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.”
“I joined Lidl in 2000, when Lidl first launched in Ireland, and have worked with the company for twenty-two years,” said Carl O’Connor, Lidl customer assistant, Lidl Youghal. “Not being able to work past the current retirement age was of huge concern. I am delighted that I can plan ahead much longer into the future. The announcement of the Lidl’s retirement policy is fantastic. I have worked all of my life and I am fit and healthy and want to continue as long as I can. It’s great that the opportunity is now there to work on. I was nervous when I was coming to the time of retirement, but I was reassured that there was no need to worry. It has been seamless with no changes to the way I work.”
Commenting on the announcement and experience working as a Lidl customer assistant and till responsible people at 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. Other companies will say you’re sixty-five, goodbye, but at Lidl you’re not a number on a clocking machine, it shows that the company has your interests at heart.”
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