Most jurisdictions grant differentiated and more beneficial treatment – usually in the form of early retirement, and commonly under special pension schemes – to workers in arduous or hazardous jobs. Several justifications for such treatment have been advanced, including i) compensating the worker for the hardship, ii) protecting the worker from the hazard, and iii) realizing the principle of equality in the distribution of costs and benefits in the social security system. This article analyses these functions from a socioeconomic perspective and explains how early retirement for workers in arduous and hazardous jobs is necessary to ensure equality by treating “unequals unequally”, and in proportion to their inequality. Moreover, this article presents a precise formula to calculate when a worker should be allowed to retire, so that workers in occupational domains with a shorter life expectancy do not systematically enjoy lower expected benefits from the pension system while having contributed the same amount. Implications for the design and desirability of special pension benefits are discussed.
Digitalization is transforming societies and economies worldwide at an unprecedented scale and pace. In the wake of automation and digitalization, new forms of employment have been emerging in various occupations and sectors, such as the digital platform economy. The emergence of new forms of employment, such as work on digital platforms, requires that existing social protection systems adapt to the specific situation and needs of such workers, as to realize the human right to social security for all. Current social protection coverage for workers on digital crowdwork platforms reveals significant gaps in social security coverage. Where such coverage exists, it is often provided through the workers' previous or additional jobs, or indirectly through their spouses or other family members. This raises questions about digital platforms free riding on the traditional economy with regard to the financing of social security. How can social protection systems adapt to changing forms of work to ensure full and effective coverage for workers in all forms of employment, including those in "new" forms of employment? How can workers in all types of employment, including those on digital platforms, be protected in an adequate and comprehensive way, combining contributory and non-contributory mechanisms and based on equitable and sustainable financing mechanisms, so as to ensure adequate social protection to all?
—————— ▍案例 ▍—————— 住在河北省邢台市南和区的小沈从事宠物食品直播带货工作,一直想参加社保.今年9月6日,他无意间在抖音平台得知邢台市正在开展"社保进城"行动,特意来到南和区社保中心了解办理社保业务的情况.
—————— ▍案例 ▍—————— 日前,河南省开封市鼓楼区的灵活就业参保人员李女士来到建设银行开封支行社保便民服务合作网点办理退休业务.社保便民服务合作网点经办人员热情接待了她:查阅缴费记录—打印缴费凭证—填写退休表格—办理退休业务,全程只用了6分钟."在家门口办社保又快又好!"李女士逢人便说,"银行网点就是家门口的社保大厅."
—————— ▍案例 ▍—————— "以前我们办理企业职工基本养老保险关系跨省转移接续业务,需要在两地来回跑,花费很多时间和精力,现在通过'我的宁夏'移动互联网应用程序(App)线上申请办理,10分钟就办好了,真是太方便了."近日,宁夏信友监理咨询管理股份有限公司人力资源部经理张鑫说.他所在的公司在广州市和银川市都有业务,工作人员经常在两地轮流工作,面临在穗银两地办理企业职工基本养老保险关系跨省转移接续业务的情况.银川市设立了粤宁跨省通办合作专窗,有专人受理业务,让办事群众感受到了便利.
