Older workers can have extra days off (says labor court in Germany)

TheLocal.de ^ | 21 Oct 2014 14:26 GMT+02:00 | (DPA/The Local)

[Olog-hai]

Older workers in Germany are allowed more time off than younger ones, a court ruled on Tuesday, saying the difference was not discriminatory.

Younger employees of a shoe manufacturer in Rhineland-Palatinate brought a case against their employer for giving two extra days off per year to their colleagues aged 58 and over and appealed it to the country’s highest labor court.

But Germany’s anti-discrimination law (AGG) allows for different treatment for workers based on their age, experience or length of service under certain conditions, the judges said. …

[Conan the Librarian]

Always looked on that as an incentive to stick around.

Where I work, you start with a day and a quarter a month. After 20 years, you’re up to 2 days a month.

I have something like 5 weeks of annual saved up. Why? I don’t know. I can’t take more than 2 weeks at a go.

[Gaffer]

Well, in some peoples’ eyes, preference, deference or indulgence isn’t the same as discrimination. One might also complain about the ‘discrimination’ of drivers licenses and age requirements.

[houeto]

That’s fair. Everybody knows that two days lasts longer for younger people than older people. It’s the old rule: The older you get, the faster time flies!

[MNDude]

They’ll have to keep working until they are 100 to pay for all those in the less responsible countries collecting welfare. It’s only fair.

[posterchild]

“I’ve learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.” - Andy Rooney

[posterchild]

In this case it appears to not be based on longevity at the company but merely on age. Either way it should be the company’s choice.

Parable of the workers in the vineyard:
http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/20:1

[camle]

question: would you hire an older person knowing that they would provide two days less work than a younger person? would you keep an older person on the payroll knowing that you could get two extra days work from a younger person?

[Rusty0604]

“But Germany’s anti-discrimination law (AGG) allows for different treatment for workers based on their age”...huh?

If the older employee has been at the company longer and therefore accrues more time off. I can see that. But not just because they are older.

[hinckley buzzard]

Comparing the output of younger vs older employees among the businesses I see, I'd take the older every time. They might need a couple days off but at least they show up and put in a good day's work.

The "two days extra work" from the younger person is likely not to be worth a damn anyway, because he/she/it probably will spend that time jacking off their cell phones instead of working.