Pensions: are you affected by the compulsory medical examination at age 61?

In France, the pension reform discussed in recent days provides for compulsory medical visits at age 61.

Since a few months, pension reform hits the headlines . Indeed, since his first mandate, Emmanuel Macron aims to review our end-of-career system. The goal? To preserve a system, whose finances, would be too fragile to hold in the future . On TV sets, Ministers like Bruno Le Maire, or Olivier Dussopt follow one another to defend this pension reform. As the average life expectancy of the French has increased, the government thinks we need to work longer . But in addition to the decline in the legal age, this reform incorporates several new features concerning employee health . Thus, medical monitoring and prevention will take a prominent place. In the working world .

Pension reform: a text presented under high tension

The responsibility for carrying out this reform lies with our Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne . For it to be able to carry out this mission, its passage before the National Assembly was therefore postponed from December 7 to January 10 . In the meantime, the Head of Government has thus had time to meet the social partners and discuss with them. Also, she affirms that the dialogue remains open on pensions. On all these subjects, we continue to discuss with employers' organizations and trade unions, and with the various political parties that are represented in the Senate and the National Assembly. »

However, this pension reform is meeting fierce opposition. Thereby, Philippe Martinez, of the CGT, did not hesitate to show his disagreement on BFM TV. “It’s still a lot of coffee to explain that we are going to work two more years and that it is social progress, so that, you have to be tough to come out with stuff like that. »

In effect, whether the government is considering raising the legal retirement age , it also provides for other developments. The goal? Avoid what is called professional wear and tear. Indeed, if workers have to prolong their career, their health must be given special care .

Prevention at work

Government spokesperson Olivier Véran announced himself the news this January 10, 2023. 'It's a novelty: now, thanks to medical advice, it will be possible to leave earlier.' According to him, this mission will fall to occupational medicine . Indeed, in the event of a health problem, some could obtain their retirement early. This medical examination, provided for by the reform , must take place from the age of 61. It concerns only those who exercise arduous jobs.

For now, this obligation already concerns many employees , approaching the end of his career. But in this new bill, the medical visit will act in addition to career-long prevention . “Today, we want to prevent professional wear and tear. I prefer that we ask ourselves the question during the career of an employee to know how to prevent him from having his back broken. Rather than seeing the damage at 60 and telling the person they can leave sooner. »

Pension reform: what measures against professional wear and tear?

Workers can sometimes risk their health during their professional activity. In the long run, some trades lead to attrition, physically and mentally . However, there are many factors that can lead to this kind of problem. We're talking about business wear when the natural aging process is accelerated. However, it does not only concern people about to receive their pensions . According to CARSAT, this phenomenon can affect all age groups .

To limit professional wear and tear, there are however solutions. We can thus prevent the risks of MSDs and occupational cancers . For this, however, it is necessary to benefit from regular medical follow-up, and to adopt the right gestures. Conversely, employees who ignore these symptoms are at risk of becoming unfit for work . And this, before they can enjoy their pensions. Indeed, some jobs are very difficult: staggered hours, noise, shocks, carrying heavy loads...

How will this reinforced medical monitoring work?

In presenting the pension reform project, the Prime Minister mentioned the need to “take into consideration professional wear and tear related to the conditions of exercise of certain trades. » In the future, the health of workers must remain the priority . “We need to better recognize the impact of other stresses on worker health, such as heavy lifting or awkward postures. »

The pension reform thus provides regular medical visits . The goal? Spot the symptoms, but also accompany the workers towards their future. Depending on the case, we could therefore authorize early departures . But not all problems necessarily lead to total incapacity for work. As well, the pension reform project press kit also deals with conversions. A new use of the professional prevention account will be created with the possibility of financing retraining leave to change jobs more easily. »

Difficulty of work and pensions

Today, the state recognizes the arduousness of a profession using 6 criteria. Each of them allows accumulate a certain number of points , which influences the pensions of the workers concerned. They include:

• Work in alternating successive teams. This corresponds, for example, to the workers who make 'the 3×8'.
• Noise exposure.
• Extreme temperatures.
• Repetitive work (such as on factory production lines).
• Night work. This rhythm concerns many sectors such as the medical branch, security, or cleanliness.
• Activities carried out in a hyperbaric environment (high pressures).

As part of the new pension reform, Olivier Véran indicated that these hardship criteria would be extended . Consultations will take place to take into account as many criteria as possible. For example, for the moment, you have to work 120 nights a year to get hardship points. It will increase to 100 nights. »

On the union side, however, expectations are beyond the measures announced by the government . Thus, for the CGT , these measures remain insufficient. This reform will hit all workers hard, and more particularly those who started working early, the most precarious, whose life expectancy is lower than the rest of the population. And those whose difficult jobs are not recognized. It will aggravate the precariousness of those who are no longer in employment before retirement, and reinforce gender inequalities. »

Source : Actu