GERMANY - Three-quarters of HR managers at small- to medium-sized German enterprises say they are not planning to increase the pensions offered to employees or even set one up because they claim staff simply don’t want them.

A study conducted by Standard Life found over one-third of the 300 HR managers questioned where the company already offers an occupational pension scheme said they assume employees have very little interest in a company pension plan, if they have any interest at all.

Similarly, among companies which are not offering any pension plan at least 64% of HR managers questioned think there is no interest (39%) or only very little interest (25%) among the staff.

“From our experience we cannot say people are not interested in occupational pensions in principle,” commented Bertram Valentin, chief executive at Standard Life Germany.

“We see more need for pension representatives in companies and providers to offer more advice and information because as soon as employees have recognised the tax benefits of an occupational pension their interest is growing - that is what we have experienced.”

That said, over 20% of HR managers in companies without a pension plan also confessed their staff are not very well-informed about the subject.

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