Your pension

Your pension at Fresenius

Which rules apply to me? Find the information you need in just a few clicks.

What if…

Prepared for everything

Both professionally and personally, life can take you in different directions - sometimes planned, sometimes not. This often affects your pension plans.

Family

Parental leave

The principle is simple: As long as you receive a Fresenius salary, you will receive contributions to the Fresenius Basic Plan and direct insurance. You can also make your own contributions from salary components. Of course, you are also entitled to the full contribution amount during maternity leave.

Fresenius contributions to the Fresenius Basic Plan are reduced proportionately during periods in which no employment salary is paid. The basic amount is reduced proportionately and under some circumstances the Fresenius supplementary contribution may be stopped entirely.

You can pay your own contributions to direct insurance during parental leave. The tax and social security benefits of the company pension scheme no longer apply. Alternatively, you can apply for a temporary switch to paid-up mode. Or, if your absence does not last a full year, you can cover the contribution gaps with other available salary components. Please feel free to contact us at an early stage so that we can examine the various options.

Bear in mind that parental leave has a significant impact on both your statutory pension and your company pension. So, plan in advance how you will cover any gaps together with your partner.

Part-time employment

The amount of the contributions you receive from us depends on your gross salary. If your working hours change, your salary also changes. This has an impact on the Fresenius pension plan: the contribution to the Fresenius Basic Plan decreases, the basic amount and Fresenius supplementary contributions to direct insurance are reduced proportionately. A reduction in working hours therefore also has a significant impact on your statutory pension and the company pension benefits. We also suggest that if you have a spouse/partner, you should discuss how you will cover any gaps together.

Divorce

Divorce can also affect your company pension. The law provides for pension equalization in this instance. Essentially, the other spouse is entitled to half of the pension entitlements accumulated during the marriage. The employer is obliged to provide the family court with information about existing pension entitlements.

You

Going into retirement

When you go into retirement, you are entitled to the payment of your Fresenius pension. You will receive payment from the Fresenius Basic Plan from the age of 62 at the earliest if you have left Fresenius at that time and are entitled to the state pension. You must apply for payment in good time before retirement. Please contact your Human Resources department directly.

You have the flexibility to request payment from direct insurance between the ages of 62 and 75. Please contact the Insurance department to clarify what payment date is suitable for you and which payment option you wish to choose.

Illness

The principle is simple: As long as you receive a Fresenius salary, you will receive contributions to the Fresenius Basic Plan and to direct insurance and will be able to make your own contributions from salary components. So long as you receive continued payment of salary in the event of illness, nothing changes.

In the event of illness without continued payment of salary, the Fresenius Basic Plan contribution will be reduced proportionately.

The same applies to the basic amount in direct insurance. Under certain circumstances, Fresenius supplementary contributions may be stopped entirely. You may not pay contributions to direct insurance from any sickness benefit that you receive from health insurance once salary payments cease. If your absence does not last a full year, you can cover the contribution gaps with other available salary components. You can also switch to paid-up mode for direct insurance or continue with private contributions. If you pay private contributions, the tax and social security benefits of the company pension scheme no longer apply. Feel free to contact the Insurance Department at an early stage so that we can examine your options.

Death before retirement

If you die before retirement, your survivors receive the payments to which you would have been entitled as a pension at this point. In the Fresenius Basic Plan, this survivor benefit is paid out as a lump sum. If you have chosen the survivor's option, your dependants receive additional benefits. In direct insurance, the payments are made as regular lifelong payments for adults, with a time limit applying for children.

The member(s) of your family entitled to these benefits is/are defined by law. In married couples, it is your spouse. The same applies to people in a registered civil partnership. If this does not apply to you, children for whom child benefit payments are made are entitled to benefits. If there are no eligible children, your partner can also be considered. However, this person must be named by you in advance.

Death after retirement

If you opt to receive a lifelong pension, the pension guarantee periods are 21 years for benefits from the Fresenius Basic Plan and 10 years for direct insurance. For the period after the start of the pension, your survivors will receive the outstanding amount as a lump sum or as a regular pension.

The member(s) of your family entitled to these benefits is/are defined by law. In married couples, it is your spouse. The same applies to people in a registered civil partnership. If this does not apply to you, children for whom child benefit payments are made are entitled to benefits. If there are no eligible children, your partner can also be considered. However, this person must be named by you in advance.

Occupational incapacity

In the event of occupational incapacity, you will still receive the promised retirement benefits from the Fresenius Basic Plan. Paid-up mode ensures that the regular retirement benefit is paid out when you retire even though no further premiums have been paid once you become unable for work. If you choose the income protection option, you are covered by an occupational incapacity pension equal to the guaranteed minimum retirement pension until you reach retirement age.

If the agreed premium payment cannot be maintained during a period of occupational incapacity, you can switch to paid-up mode for direct insurance. This means that no further contributions are paid, and the pension benefits accrued up to this point are paid out at retirement age. Alternatively, when you take out insurance, you can opt for additional coverage for exemption from premiums in the event of occupational incapacity. This ensures that the regular pension is paid out at retirement, even though no more contributions are paid.

Fresenius

Change of job

To retain your entitlement to benefits from the Fresenius Basic Plan when changing jobs, you must have worked at Fresenius for three years and have reached a minimum age of 21 before leaving. You can then apply for the benefits upon retirement.

The following applies to direct insurance: Whatever happens, you will retain your entitlement to the benefits from your paid contributions. However, these benefits are only paid out on retirement. You can either continue direct insurance privately after changing jobs - whereupon company pension tax and social security benefits no longer apply - or switch to paid-up mode. If your new employer agrees, you can also transfer the direct insurance to your new employer.

Insolvency

Your Fresenius pension plan is secure - even in the unlikely event that Fresenius or the insurance company should become insolvent.

The benefits from the Fresenius Basic Plan are financed by an insured provident fund. Creditors do not have access to this reinsurance cover, even in the event of corporate insolvency. In the event that the insurer becomes insolvent, the benefits of the direct insurance and the Fresenius Basic Plan are legally protected by the protection scheme of the German life insurer Protektor Lebensversicherungs-AG as the safety net company.