Salved access to the heavy work pension: a milestone for nurses!

Salved access to the heavy work pension: a milestone for nurses!

Österreich - On April 22, 2025, an important step for the recognition of nurses in Austria was announced. Access to the heavy work pension for nursing staff is made easier, which is positively rated by the SPÖ women's chairman Eva-Maria Holzleitner and the SPÖ federal manager Ruth Manninger. Minister of Health and Social Affairs Korinna Schumann is praised for this initiative, which is considered to be the implementation of a long-term claim by the SPÖ women. The increasing requirements in care, which include both physical and mental stress, have caused a reform to be urgently needed.

Already in various areas such as hospitals, nursing homes and mobile care, nurses are constantly confronted with challenges. This includes dealing with illness and dying as well as shift work and lack of staff. In the future, the multiple burden of employees will also flow into the criteria for heavy work, which represents a significant improvement. The reform of the heavy work ordinance takes these factors into account and is considered an important recognition for the nursing profession. For example, nursing staff who have at least 45 years of insurance and have been doing heavy work in the past 20 years can retire at the age of 60, such as SPÖ reported.

stress and legal recognition

An objective assessment of the criteria for heavy work is sought. The focus is on psychological stress and the different requirements in daily nursing work. The recognition of the hours and services worked should also be improved. In addition, the federal government is an important goal to generally reform the working conditions of nurses. This includes measures to improve working hours and duty roster as well as an increase in the health and social area, as is also mentioned on future of the nursing profession

The importance of nursing staff in the health and social system cannot be assessed highly enough. In view of the aging population in Austria, the need for care will continue to increase in the future. The Federal Government has also set itself the goal of gaining more people for the nursing profession and keeping them in the industry. Holzleitner and Manninger consider the relieved access to the heavy work pension not only as a success for nursing staff, but especially for women who are strongly represented in this professional sector.

The measures that are now being implemented should increase the attractiveness of the nursing profession and create a fair appreciation for the system -related work of the nursing staff. The relief in the heavy work ordinance thus represents an important milestone in the recognition and improvement of working conditions in care, such as OTS