Vodafone is now allowing people to work part-time for six months before retirement while continuing to be being paid their full-time salary. The news is part of a package of support benefits designed to make the transition to the new stage of life easier and more enjoyable for people.
Vodafone is now allowing people to work part-time for six months before retirement while continuing to be be paid fully. The news is part of a package of support benefits designed to make the transition to the new stage of life easier and more enjoyable for people.
Retirement, the point at which a person ends their working career, is not just an opportunity to “finally relax”, but it is also a life change that brings a great deal of stress. According to a scale compiled by American psychologists T. H. Holmes and R. H. Rahe, retirement is among the 10 most stressful situations in life.
“Suddenly, a people lose their previous daily routine and lose or greatly reduce a large part of their social contacts, and usually it has a financial impact as well. These people then often fill the waiting rooms of GPs or psychologists. For example, psychological counselling and individual attention can help to mitigate the potential mental health effects of retirement under unfavourable conditions. The human psyche will benefit from a gradual retirement, not the classic model of ending overnight,” says Martina Rašticová, head of the Institute of Management at the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Mendel University in Brno, who specializes in work psychology and age management, among other topics.
That is why Vodafone has newly prepared an employee benefits package specifically intended for those who are to transition to retirement. This has expanded a range of employee benefits that is unique in the business world.
Full salary even with a four-day week
In the six months before retirement, people at Vodafone can work only four days a week, but they will continue to receive a full-time salary. The same conditions apply proportionately to part-time work. The company has to take part-time positions into account, as more than 20 % of newcomers to Vodafone have joined the company on a part-time basis every year since the introduction of the part-time option for all positions three years ago.
“We give our colleagues a great deal of flexibility and freedom. When we introduced part-time work for all positions a few years ago, we started to get applications from people we would not otherwise have got on the labour market. We believe, and we can see from experience, that the emphasis on well-being also bears fruit for employers. A satisfied team will do a better job, which is why we continue to expand benefits,” says Magdaléna Wavle, Human Resources Director at Vodafone. She adds: “We use benefits to support, for example, students, parents, individuals with special health needs, women in their career development, we also level the playing field for LGBTQ+ people and so on. The pension package will further complement our portfolio.”
Special tariff and educational courses
The benefits package includes, in addition to the phased exit mentioned above, a mobile phone with a special Unlimited Thank You plan and a financial reward. The Grow with Vodafone corporate development platform also offers a range of courses and literature focusing, among other things, on preparing for the life changes associated with retirement. Last but not least, they can take advantage of professional consultations.
“Warm interpersonal relationships and community remain among the most important factors for happiness in retirement. We certainly don’t want to say goodbye to our senior colleagues for good, they will continue to be part of the Vodafone family and can look forward to regular invitations to company events even in their well-deserved retirement,” says Director Wavle. “At the same time, we are looking at deepening intergenerational cooperation within the company. We also encourage retirees to join the Vodafone Digital Odyssey Foundation programme to help older people navigate the world of technology,” she concludes.