Deutsche Bank, Germany’s biggest bank, introduced a sliding scale forcing top bankers to defer a bigger proportion of their bonuses, said two people with direct knowledge of the plan.

The rule applies to 2009 bonuses of more than 100,000 euros ($136,000), said one of the people, who declined to be identified because the plan is private. Bankers will have to defer at least 25 percent of bonuses above that amount, the people said. The marginal deferral rate will increase to as much as 90 percent as the bonus crosses a series of thresholds.