Fact or fiction? “SNCF employees don’t work much and retire early.”
SNCF employees work at least 35 hours each week and receive extra compensation for working overtime and odd hours. Workers hired before 2020 can retire between the ages of 56 and 63, whereas more recent hires fall under France’s general pension scheme.
Work at SNCF complies with French Labour Code standards
All SNCF employees work a minimum of 35 hours per week, in accordance with the national Labour Code. This legal framework governs organization of work schedules, including provisions for overtime, irregular hours and night shifts, with mechanisms such as compensatory leave to balance these demands. We’re no different from any other company whose employees have set schedules for work and on-call hours.
60
was the average retirement age for SNCF rail workers in 2023
35h
is the minimum number of hours worked per week at SNCF
150
career options are available in rail operations
At what age do SNCF employees retire?
Depending on their position, workers hired before 2020 can retire between the ages of 56 and 63, or in some cases later (the average age was 60 in 2023). New hires in rail operations today fall under the country’s general pension scheme and retire under the same conditions as any other worker in France.
Figures show that employees are working more years across the board. The government has asked companies to take these later retirement ages into account by offering more options for end-of-career management. With this in mind, SNCF management followed the example of other companies like BNP Paribas, Orange and Airbus by signing an end-of-career agreement with trade unions in spring 2024.
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