Betriebliche Entgeltgerechtigkeit in altersgemischten Belegschaften

Demographic change in Germany has led to an increase in the average number of older employees on the one hand, but on the other hand there are numerous problems employing younger successors. The success of human resources management depends on company performance and remuneration policy. The article addresses the question of the extent to which a change in performance must be compulsorily linear in terms of income if older workers cannot achieve the same level of productivity as the younger ones. After a sociological discussion of just criteria the author shows which solutions are pursued in the pay policies of companies to deal with demographic change. He presents empirically investigated and practised examples of remuneration models which do not compromise the company’s fairness and productivity in age-mixed or ageing workplaces. Finally, some operational and structural framework conditions are outlined which could prove to be obstacles to an adequate adjustment of remuneration systems in line with the demands of demographic change.