Cyprus Considers Setting Retirement Age Limit for Nurses on Night Shifts

The Pan-Cypriot Nurses' Union (ΠΑΣΥΝΟ) has officially requested to establish the maximum retirement age for employees working night and shift schedules at 60 years. The organization emphasizes that the proposal is based on international practice, scientific data, and concern for workers' health, not on a desire to gain privileges.

The union's general secretary, Savvas Iakovou, stated that the nursing profession is extremely exhausting and requires constant physical and psychological strain. According to him, caring for staff health is directly linked to the quality of patient care and the stability of the entire healthcare system.

One of the arguments cited was numerous studies confirming that long-term night shifts (up to 30–35 years) increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, depression, and sleep disorders. “After 60 years the human body simply cannot withstand such a schedule,” Iakovou emphasized. “It is like asking a marathon runner to run without a finish line.”

As an example, he referred to the experience of other European countries: in Italy, retirement at 60 years is provided for workers in heavy professions, in France working hours can be reduced starting at 58 years, and in Spain a special retirement regime exists for “harmful and heavy” occupations.

The union proposes mandatory retirement at 60 years for nurses working in shift and night schedules, with full pension rights. It also suggests the possibility of part-time employment and gradual withdrawal from work starting at 58 years, and for employees over 55 years — limiting the number of night shifts per year.

Iakovou noted that state financial expenses for such reform would be less than the losses from mistakes, sick leaves, and reduced work quality among overworked employees. If the problem remains unresolved, there is a risk that some nurses will leave early due to illness, burnout, or emigration, further worsening the staffing shortage.

According to Iakovou, this is not a matter of the “endurance of Cypriot nurses” but a need for official recognition of the difficulty of the profession. He emphasized that, according to international data, 70% of nurses worldwide state they are unable to continue night shifts after the age of 60. The World Health Organization also classifies night work as a high-risk factor for health.

“Nurses are not asking for benefits,” he concluded. “We are demanding the right to leave the profession with dignity and in good health. By supporting nurses, we support the entire healthcare system, which ultimately serves everyone.”