Andorra Weighs Extending Productivity Bonus to Retired Civil Servants

The Andorran government is assessing whether to extend an extraordinary productivity bonus, paid last October to active public sector workers, to retired civil servants.

The one-off payment compensated for the suspension of the GAdA performance evaluation system and went to employees with at least seven years of service in fixed positions—covering 61% of the 2,695 staff in the general administration and justice sectors, or about 1,640 people. Recipients received amounts scaled by seniority, from 0.5% of annual salary for those with seven to eight years up to 5.5% for staff with 17 or more years. The average payout stood at €1,830, with the total cost to the state reaching €3 million.

Retired workers, including former police officers, argue they deserve the bonus as they were affected by the GAdA halt, which began in 2009 and prevented salary band progression during their careers. Over 100 claims have been filed with the Public Function department by ex-police and administrative staff. Last week, representatives from the retired police association met with Head of Government Xavier Espot and Public Function Minister Marc Rossell to press their case.

Government sources say the executive has not ruled out the demand but will first conduct a study to check its financial sustainability before deciding. Union representatives confirm the original salary agreement with civil service unions made no provision for retirees, framing the bonus instead as compensation for delays in approving public function regulations, including updates to performance evaluation (now AvAc) and career progression structures, both set for implementation this year.

The salary pact does benefit retirees separately: those retiring in 2025 will see pensions rise by 10%, matching the average increase for active staff. A budget amendment has extended this to those who took early retirement last year.

Beyond finances, retired police raised other requests during the meeting, such as leveraging their expertise for training new officers—a proposal the government is expanding across all central administration departments. The executive also agreed to routine asks, including reinstating an office at the Obac building, occasional access to police headquarters facilities, and uniformed participation in corps events like the patron saint's day, with retirees partially covering uniform costs.