Discussion about reaching the AOW age

You and your manager should discuss the work you will do until you reach the AOW age. In the discussion, you can make agreements about the activities you will perform, the projects (especially the long-term projects) in which you will participate and, where relevant, who will be your successor. This will allow the work to be transferred efficiently before you retire.

Researchers

For researchers, we recommend that you start the discussion as early as four or five years before the AOW age. This is certainly the case if you make commitments to long-term projects, research funding or grants during this period. It is important to think carefully beforehand about who will succeed or replace you when you retire. This may be a reason to pass the leadership to someone else, to ensure that a leader is always available and the work can continue. The same applies to accepting new PhD supervisions as you approach the AOW age. For more information, see also the Policy on Professorial Appointments.

Individual arrangements before retirement

Are you considering the possibility of reducing your working hours before the AOW age, or stopping work earlier? You can also discuss this with your manager and make agreements about it, if you wish. Leiden University has several schemes in this area that you could use:

• ABP Multi-Option Pension (KeuzePensioen)
  With the ABP Multi-Option Pension, you can retire at age 60 onwards. The longer you continue to work, the more pension you will accrue. Another option is partial retirement for at least 10% of your contracted hours. 
• Vitality Pact
  The Vitality Pact gives you the option of reducing your working week by 20% or 40% with more favourable terms of employment. 
• Moving to a less senior position with a decreasing salary
  In the context of your professional development and long-term employability, you can make agreements with your manager about moving to a less senior position. The Collective Labour Agreement (CAO) offers scope for arranging a less senior position that is better suited to your stage of life and development. If you do this, your salary scale will change to the one that applies for the less senior position. If the salary is lower than your current salary, in some cases the decrease will take place over a five-year period. You can look out for internal vacancies via the Vacancies page. For more information about this CAO arrangement, please contact your HR adviser.