A tale of two pension systems

Abstract

The article compares the major features of pension provision in the UK and in France. It considers why the UK population appears to be at best indifferent to their system of provision, when overall it is financially secure, whereas the French system, which is faced with increasing costs, receives wide support. The significant differences in provision, apart from the method of funding, are in the level of coverage and the extent of member involvement. The article concludes that, if the UK system took some steps in this direction, perhaps employees would begin to perceive pension provision as the valuable benefit it is, and more employers would be encouraged to introduce, or retain, defined benefit occupational pension schemes.

Citation

Cooper, D.R. (2000), "A tale of two pension systems", Employee Relations, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 286-292. https://doi.org/10.1108/01425450010332569