Senior policy

As set out in the staff policy on equality and diversity, Aarhus University wishes to be a diverse workplace. An inclusive workplace for various groups of employees, where age is not a decisive factor, but where focus is on skills, conduct, motivation, willingness to develop and capacity for work.

Role of manager

In the day-to-day contact with staff members, managers must signal that the seniors are a resource for the university. Among other things, this must be done in connection with the division of responsibilities and the approval of relevant competency development and through general attentiveness towards all staff members.

At the same time, the manager is also responsible for long-term staff planning and, for that purpose, must discuss plans for the future with senior employees, see the section ‘Dialogues for seniors’ below.

Role of staff

All staff members are obliged to contribute with their own skills, experience and motivation, to offer to undertake tasks, to initiate competency development and to generally engage with their workplace.

Dialogues for seniors

At Aarhus University employees are considered to be senior employees around 5 years before the time of retirement, and this will be a good time for a dialogue for senior employees. In the dialogue the employee’s manager and the employee discuss wishes and plans for the last years of the employee’s worklife before retirement. It is the responsibility of the manager to identify the need for a dialogue, but the employee may also initiate a dialogue.
For more information see here.

Special arrangements for seniors

A mutual agreement between a manager and an employee on the implementation of special arrangements for seniors based on the options below must be concluded following a concrete and individual assessment of the employee and the unit’s need to retain the employee.  

Gradual reduction of working hours (part-time)

An agreement may be made on the gradual reduction of working hours for employees who have reached the age of 60 years.

For an agreement on the gradual reduction in working hours to be made, the employee must have been employed by the Danish state for a total of at least ten years.

The working hours must be at least 15 hours per week after the reduction.

The university may pay an extra pension contribution up to the difference between the current total pension contribution and the total pension contribution paid at the employee’s employment rate so far.

The agreement may be combined with an agreement on voluntary withdrawal or retention bonus.

Gradual reduction of job responsibilities/lower-ranked position

An agreement may be made on the gradual reduction of job responsibilities. This is a possibility for employees who have reached the age of 55 years. 

For an agreement on the reduction of job responsibilities to be made, the employee must have been employed for the past ten years in a full-time position involving managerial responsibilities or in a similar demanding position within the Danish state. For an agreement to be made, the employee must also transfer to a lower-ranked position.

The university may pay an extra pension contribution corresponding to (as a maximum) the difference between the current total pension contribution in the new position and the total pension contribution in the previous position. An agreement is estimated by and entered into with the manager in question.

The university may pay a non-pensionable salary supplement, which must not exceed the difference between the pay exclusive of pension contributions in the previous position and the pay exclusive of pension contributions in the new position.

An angreement may be combined with an agreement on volutary withdrawal or retention bonus.

Senior days/paid time off

Up to one day of paid time off (senior day) may be granted per month for employees who have reached the age of 62. For more information see here

Retention bonus

An agreement may be made on the payment of a retention bonus. This is a possibility for employees who have reached the age of 62 years.

The purpose of paying a retention bonus is to ensure that an employee is retained in the position up until a specific point in time. The bonus is paid out on the agreed last day of employment. If the employee resigns before the agreed time, no bonus is paid.

Emeritus arrangement

Subject to agreement with local management and to the necessary capacity being available, office facilities and other facilities and services may be made available to retired academic staff.

Emeritus arrangements are conditional upon the arrangements being of mutual interest to both the former employee and the university. The former employee is therefore expected to contribute actively to the department’s activities.