Lidl Ireland is set to become the first company in Ireland to remove the mandatory retirement age clause for employees, giving staff the option to work beyond the current retirement age of 65.
The change will come into effect in the coming weeks, and Lidl said the decision would allow the company to "attract more mature and life-experienced talent" in addition to offering workers more flexibility.
The announcement comes after Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the government's intention to make major changes to the state pension system to allow workers to continue to work until the age of 70.
"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," said Maeve McCleane, chief people officer at Lidl Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"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.”
In Association with
Lidl said it would support employees with workshops put on by the Retirement Council of Ireland and LaterLife that would offer "a holistic approach to retirement planning".
The retailer said the decision to rescind the mandatory retirement age is part of its "industry-leading benefits package," which includes 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.
Carl O'Connor, a customer assistant at Lidl in Youghal since 2000, welcomed the decision, saying that the prosepct of 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," he added.
Bernadette Gilligan, a customer assistant at Lidl Ennis for nearly 20 years, said: "I’m 65 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."
Photo: Lidl customer assistant Carl O’Connor, from Youghal, Co Cork. (Pic: Daragh Mc Sweeney/Provision)
