Gradual retirement in Germany

In the summer of 1996, the German parliament enacted legislation (the "Gesetz zur Förderung cines gleitenden Ubergangs in den Ruhestand") that would allow a gradual transition from work to retirement by permitting workers 55 years and older to change from full-time to part-time work, and also by making it more difficult to take early retirement. The intent was to stop the trend towards early retirement. This article discusses the provisions of the new legislation, as well as the experiences with previous models that influenced its development. These experiences were mainly negative because older workers were unwilling to change to part-time work and employers did not provide attractive part-time work opportunities. The new legislation's chances of success are discussed and suggestions are offered for making the concept of gradual transition from work to retirement more attractive and viable.