Andorra la Vella Council to Approve Early Retirement for Veteran Civil Servants

Andorra la Vella's local council is set to approve a voluntary early retirement programme for civil servants on Thursday, July 30, targeting long-serving staff to enable generational renewal amid digital transformation needs.

The measure addresses an average employee age of 52 years and 22 years of service. It seeks to bring in new profiles skilled in digital tools, innovation, and artificial intelligence to enhance public services.

Eligibility covers civil servants within five years of standard retirement age who can demonstrate at least 25 years of active service at the council, including the last 10 consecutively.

Councillor for Talent and People Management Eva Tadeo described the programme as a planning tool for staffing, rather than a perk or unchecked expense. It will manage departures, secure knowledge handover, and assess vacated positions. Some roles will fill with new hires, while others undergo elimination through internal reorganisation, task reallocation, or procedure modernisation.

Tadeo stressed that replacements will not occur automatically. Each post will face review to decide on refilling, reshaping, or absorbing duties via restructuring, aiming for a nimbler administration without compromising service standards.

Participants receive 60% of fixed salary, capped at the median wage level and including a guaranteed minimum. The benefit bars any further public sector pay as a civil servant or interim worker. Access depends on budget, with 1% of the 2027 gross wage mass allocated. Excess demand triggers prioritisation by age, seniority, and verified health conditions.

Tadeo emphasised budgetary controls, tying the initiative to annual staffing and fiscal plans. It emerged from joint work with the Andorra la Vella Council Workers' Union (SITCA).