Voluntary Job Adjustment Scheme

In view of the Akkoord herziening bestedingsdoelen decentrale arbeidsvoorwaardengelden (Agreement on Revision of Spending Targets for Decentralised Collective Labour Agreement Funds) 2009 until and including 2013, the employer has adopted the following scheme.

Article 1 Scope of application

1. This scheme shall apply to employees within the meaning of Article 1.1, subparagraph i, of the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities, who are in the employment of Radboud University Nijmegen.
2. In derogation of paragraph 1, this scheme shall not apply to employees who already make use of the Senior Staff Scheme from the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, the Age-Conscious Policy on Quality, the General Senior Staff Scheme of the University of Nijmegen (ASKUN) or the Senior Staff Plus Scheme for Employees in Physically Demanding Jobs of Radboud University Nijmegen.

Article 2 Participation in the scheme

1. From the age of 55, employees as referred to in Article 1 may request their employers that their jobs be adjusted under the conditions mentioned in paragraphs 3 and 4 respectively. Job adjustment on the basis of this scheme entails that the employee’s job will be adjusted in such a way that it will be less demanding and the salary will be reduced by 10%. At the same time the employee will start working 20% less. Employees may only participate in this scheme if the adjustment of their jobs to a less demanding level is possible and/or desirable from a business operational perspective.
2. Participation in this scheme precludes participation in any other senior staff scheme, including the General Senior Staff Scheme contained in the Collective Labour Agreement of the Dutch Universities.
3. For employees born before 1 January 1950 who come under the VUT/FPU transitional scheme (early retirement/flexible pension and retirement) of 1 April 1997, the following conditions for participation in the scheme apply:
   a. at the date on which use is made of the FPU transitional scheme as referred to in subparagraphs d and e respectively, and immediately prior to the time of retirement, the employee must have completed 10 years of service as a participant in the General Pension Fund for Public Employees (ABP), the last 6 months of which period he/she must have completed as an employee;
   b. there is no entitlement to age days;
   c. holiday entitlement is calculated pro rata the (new) part-time factor;
   d. the salary will be reduced by 10%;
   e. all salary-related allowances will be calculatd on the basis of 90%;
   f. the basis for building up pensions and social insurances (including BWNU and ZANU) continues to be 100% of the salary that the employee received before making use of this scheme;
   g. if the employee was born no later than 1 April 1947, he/she should, for a work-time reduction of 20%, subsequently make use of the FPU transitional scheme from the first day of the month following the month in which he/she reaches the age of 61 years and 2 months;
   h. if the employee was born after 1 April 1947, he/she should, for said work-time reduction of 20%, subsequently make use of the FPU transitional scheme from the first day of the month following the month in which he/she reaches the age of 62 years and 3 months;
   i. if the employee was 50 or older on 1 April 1997, and is eligible for an additional FPU increase for carrying on working as referred to Article 5, paragraph 1.5, of the FPU regulations, he/she may choose this option. For the work-time reduction of 20%, he/she should then subsequently make use of the FPU transitional scheme as from the first day of the month in which he/she may receive a 100% FPU benefit.
4. For employees born after 1949 and employees born before 1 January 1950 who do not come under the VUT/FPU transitional scheme of 1 April 1997, the following conditions for participation in the scheme apply:
   a. for the above-mentioned work-time reduction of 20%, the employee should subsequently make use of the ABP KeuzePensioen (optional pension plan) as from and no later than the day on which he/she reaches the age of 65. The employee should notify his/her supervisor of the desired retirement date at least 6 months in advance;
   b. there is no entitlement to age days;
   c. holiday entitlements are awarded pro rata the (new) part-time factor;
   d. The salary will be reduced by 10%;
   e. All salary-related allowances will be calculatd on the basis of 90%;
   f. the basis for building up pensions and social insurances (including BWNU and ZANU) continues to be 100% of the salary that the employee received before making use of this scheme.

Article 3 Settlement of additional income

Unless otherwise agreed, the additional income from labour or business, acquired during the period referred to in Article 2, will be offset against the salary if and insofar as this income exceeds the difference between the new salary and the salary that the employee received before participating in the Voluntary Job Adjustment Scheme.

Article 4 Agreements concerning job adjustment

In connection with Article 2, the employer and employee will make agreements in a timely manner on which less demanding job the employee will fulfil, taking into account the work-time reduction of 20%. These agreements will be reconfirmed annually. The aim of these agreements is that in the employment of the employee the focus will be on the job that he/she performs best or in which he/she is most interested, or on a job in which he/she is most valuable to the institution.

Article 5 Coming into effect

This scheme shall come into effect from 1 January 2009 and will apply until 31 December 2013. Participation in the scheme must commence before 31 December 2013. The parties reserve the right to modify or withdraw this scheme at any time.

Explanation of Article 2 of the Voluntary Job Adjustment Scheme Radboud University Nijmegen

From the age of 55, employees may request their employers that their jobs be adjusted under said conditions. Job adjustment on the basis of this scheme entails that the employee’s job will be adjusted in such a way that it will be less demanding, and consequently, the employee will be placed in a salary scale that is one lower than the current one.

Examples:

• Senior Lecturer 2 becomes Lecturer 1
• Researcher 2 becomes Researcher 3
• Department Head 2 becomes Department Head 3
• ICT Manager 3 becomes ICT Manager 4
• Library Assistant 2 becomes Library Assistant 3
• Unit Director 2 becomes Project Manager 2

The employee will start working 20% less, while his/her pay is cut by 10% and he/she loses the entitlement to age days.The claim for holiday entitlement is calculated pro rata the (new) part-time factor. All salary-related allowances will be calculatd on the basis of 90%. The basis for building up pensions and social insurances (including BWNU and ZANU) continues to be 100% of the salary that the employee received before making use of this scheme.