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The Staff Federations carried out two staff surveys for consideration of the Working Group on the Mandatory Age of Separation: one jointly coordinated by CCISUA and UNISERV, and the other by FICSA. The surveys were structured somewhat differently, but both requested staff members’ opinion on whether the MAS should be increased (the CCISUA/UNISERV survey specified an increase to 65). Staff member responses to the question are summarized in the following Table.

The CCISUA/UNISERV survey allowed staff to express support for a MAS increase conditional upon the preservation of existing staff’s right to retire at 60/62. Out of the 8,039 respondents that answered the MAS question, 79.5% of respondents expressed conditional or unconditional support for an increase in the MAS to 65 (52.8% and 26.7% respectively). Survey respondents were evenly split along gender lines and had an average age of 46 years. 42% of respondents were from the General Service, and 40% Professionals, Directors, and above.

The FICSA survey, which has 2,843 responses, provided options for unconditioned support for or opposition to a MAS increase. 53% expressed unconditioned support for an increase in the MAS. The proportion of respondents that expressed opposition to a MAS increase (39%) was significantly higher than in the CCISUA/UNISERV survey (18.1%). Among those respondents that favoured an increase in the MAS, 83% preferred a MAS of 65 years over a common MAS of 62 for all staff regardless of the date of entry on duty, provided it could be exercised as an option by the staff already on board at the time of implementation. A majority of respondents (62.6%) were at least 45 years old, including 26.6% that were at least 55. Respondents were relatively evenly split between General Service and Professional staff (47.6% and 46.5% respectively) and were predominantly stationed in Europe (74.1% of respondents).

The Staff Associations and staff members surveyed particularly emphasized the role of staff discretion in the decision to work beyond the MAS. 74.3% of CCISUA/UNISERV respondents felt that, in the event of a MAS increase, the decision to work beyond the current mandatory age of separation should be made by staff members, compared to 15.2% who thought the decision should be made by the Executive Head or administration. FICSA did not include a question about discretion but noted that similar sentiments were often expressed in the comments left by survey respondents. In a joint statement, Staff Associations argued that executive head discretion on the matter is arbitrary and unfair.