Special scheme at Danske Bank to retain pensioners
Former adviser Annette Fly Jensen has maintained her connection to the workplace and colleagues and has full control over how she uses her time thanks to a pilot project known as The Blue Gold at Danske Bank. The model may inspire more according to vice president of Finansforbundet.
Customer support and a cleared desk
After a few months of extended summer holiday, Annette Fly Jensen was therefore able to return in her new role:
"I'm now in customer support and am allowed to work 34 hours a month with no bearing on my pension payment whatsoever. At The Blue Gold team, we help answer emails and customer inquiries. Things I don't get done is put in a shared to-do pile that others take care of."
It allows her to leave work with a cleared desk and no pressure in terms of when she needs to come in again. She can also decide to work from home if she wants to.
"But I prefer to come in a lot and meet my colleagues. I appreciate that I can stay in touch with them in this way."
Around the 20th of every month, she makes a plan for the coming month.
"It gives them an idea of when to expect me. I can change it at any time, and I’m also free to decide to be absent for a three-month period if I plan otherwise with my husband."
Loose reins
The great flexibility was a requirement for her, and she believes many people her age feel the same way:
"It probably isn’t wise to hold the reins too tightly if they want us to work a little longer. It's not that I can't fill in my time without work, but it works well to have this loose connection."
Today, she has exactly the life she wants, with little work and lots of free time:
"I could well imagine it becoming a great success. Both the people I talk to internally and externally think it's a fantastic solution. I think more of my colleagues will do the same if, when the time comes, they get the chance."
Important inspiration
Steen Lund Olsen, Vice President of Finansforbundet, also sees potential in The Blue Gold model.
"Making it possible to have a more flexible connection to the labour market, including after retirement, resonates positively in terms of many of our labour market challenges," he says and continues:
"It allows individuals to stay in touch with colleagues and to contribute their valuable professional skills and experience. Also, it will enhance workplace diversity, so it's obviously a model to draw important inspiration from."
“There’s no doubt that having the right framework to support the necessary flexibility is absolutely crucial for retaining experienced employees and creating a more inclusive workplace overall.”
The Blue Gold project
The Blue Gold project has come to life through a collaboration between the bank and Finansforbundet at Danske Bank and is initially intended for employees in customer-facing functions.
In the Blue Gold senior job, you become part of the customer service unit, answering the telephone and written inquiries, and switch to employment on an hourly-pay basis.