Eight Organizations Honored for Helping Older Workers into Encore Careers

Civic Ventures and MetLife Foundation have named eight organizations as winners of the 2009 Encore Opportunity Awards awarded to organizations that are making it easier for experienced workers to transition into encore careers--paid jobs that offer meaning and the chance to make a social impact. Among other things, the winners are engaging people over 50 in creative ways to protect public safety, build low-income housing, teach job skills, preserve the environment, and even save dying Native American languages.

"This year's Encore Opportunity Award winners are innovative, adaptable and smart – and clearly recognize the need to take advantage of the windfall of talented older Americans," said Dennis White, CEO and president of MetLife Foundation. "These trailblazing employers can serve as a model for others to follow."

On the employment front, the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department (Lawrenceville, Ga.) was cited for its recruitment and employment of encore workers to fill jobs at all levels; one-fourth of the it's civilian and sworn work force is over 50, coming from previous careers in government, retail and business. In addition, the Orleans Technical Institute (a division of JEVS Human Services (Philadelphia)) was cited for hiring retirees from the building trades as instructors to provide training and individualized support to an "at-risk" student population; more than half of the school's employees are 50-plus, including full- and part-time instructors, support staff, recruiters and counselors.

Source: Civic Ventures Press Release (November 17, 2009)

AARP Announces 2009 Best Employers for Workers over 50

AARP has announced its annual list of the 50 best employers in the United States for workers 50 and over, and, for the first time one employer--Cornell University--has repeasted as the top finisher.

“AARP is delighted that Cornell has placed first for the second year in a row in the Best Employers program,” said Deborah Russell, AARP’s Director of Workforce Issues. “The university is famed for its creative academic policies and its approach to 50 and over workers is no different. It has continued to innovate with new programs in the past year.”

Among the programs offered by Cornell, noted AARP, are a formal phased retirement program for faculty and staff, telecommuting and compressed work weeks, a retiree health and prescription drug plan heavily subsidized by the university, paid time off for care giving, and access for retirees to continued university education at no charge.

At AARP's Best Employers site, AARP has published its list of the top 10 innovative international employers and, for the first time, a separate hospitals and health care best employers honor roll.

Source: AARP Press Release (September 9, 2009)

United Kingdom: NHS Employers Puts Forth Best Practices for Older Workers

In conjunction with the Channel 4's broadcast of "Too Old To Work," NHS Employers has emphasized the importance of demonstrating new and imaginative approaches to age diversity in the workforce in light of the demographic challenge it faces.

NHS Employers states that there is clear evidence that both staff turnover and absenteeism are reduced and that motivation and commitment are improved in organisations employing people of all ages. In particular, as a result of the NHS Employers age diversity work programme, 78% of NHS organisations had workforce policies for age in place in 2007, either as part of wider equal opportunities policies or specifically on age diversity.

NHS Employers knows that the NHS is working hard to address the issue of age discrimination and has a key role in highlighting good practice case studies among NHS organisations. One good practice case study is Sheffield PCT.

Chris Stocks, Head of Human Resources, Sheffield PCT, said:

"After we'd fully assessed the legislation, the Board - fully supported by the trade unions - agreed to do away with the default retirement age of 65 and give employees the choice of working longer if they so wanted.

"We then wrote out to staff and briefed managers on the reasons and practical implications. The move has been well received by staff."

NHS Employer resources include information on the business case for utilizing older workers and anonymised examples of good practice in the NHS.

Source: NHS Employers Press Release (February 10, 2009)

Case Study: How One U.K. Business Maximizes Use of Older Workers

B&Q, one of the founders of the Employers Forum for Age in the United Kingdom, has become a case study for many ways in which an employer can utilize older workers for both the employees' and company's benefit. Policies on employee engagement, work-life balance, equal opportunities and internal communications have helped the retailer, as have experiments, such as opening a store staffed entirely by those 50 and older. In the latter case, a study showed that that store out-performed others in terms of profits, employee turnover, absenteeism, and inventory shrinkage.

Sources: theMatureMarket.com PRess Release (November 21, 2008); Human Resource Management International Digest "Employee engagement “does it” for B&Q: Diversity at the heart of business success" Vol. 16, Issue 7 (2008)

AARP Announces 2008 Best Employers for Workers Over 50

Cornell University heads the list of AARP's 2008 best employers for workers over 50. According to AARP CEO Bill Novelli, a "diverse group of corporations and not-for-profits are increasingly recognizing the importance of innovative policies as employers seek to retain and recruit experienced workers." In particular, Novelli pointed out that, in the face of rising health care costs, many of the top 50 employers are adopting practices such as health screenings and other wellness programs that will pay off for both the employee and the employer.

With respect to Cornell, the University offers a variety of health-related programs through the year, including health screenings in office buildings on campus, and computerized and in-person health counseling for those enrolled in its Health Program for Healthy Living. Among other things, its wellness program provides access to five fitness centers on campus, an ice skating rink and several swimming pools, along with group fitness and nutrition classes. Other policies include flexible arrangements such as flextime, compressed work weeks and telecommuting; a formal phased retirement program for faculty; a robust retiree health and prescription drug plan heavily subsidized by the university; temporary work assignments for non-faculty retirees; paid time off for care giving, and access for retirees to continued university education at no charge.

In announcing the list of the top 50 employers, AARP also issued a compilation of employer strategies for addressing the issues of an aging workforce. AARP has grouped these best practices exhibited by one or more of its top 50 employers according to recruiting, training, phased retirement, retiree relations, and caregiving programs.

In addition, AARP has identified its top 10 international innovative employers.

Source: AARP Press Release (September 23, 2008)

AARP Announces 2007 Best Employers for Workers Over 50

In introducing its picks for the 2007 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50, AARP highlighted the number of major multi-national corporations demonstrating that enlightened policies toward 50+ employees make good business sense. Thus, for its top position, AARP named SC Johnson, a company based in Racine, Wisconsin, with operations in more than 70 countries, which, among other forward-looking practices, offers a range of flexible work arrangements that enable workers to balance their professional and personal lives--including an on-site medical center and various wellness, fitness and recreation programs; an on-site education program that provides lifelong learning and college credits; and paid sabbaticals to experienced employees.

Announcing that selection, along with the Principal Financial Group, its 9th selection, and Michelin North Americam, its 44th, AARP CEO Bill Novelli said that "[i]nternational companies that take a world class approach in their policies toward 50 and over workers understand that the result is more productive employees."

AARP alsp announced the winners of its annual Bernard E. Nash Awards for Innovation. Chosen from all applicants for the Best Employers honor, AARP singled out Mercy Health System of Janesville, Wisconsin, for flexible work options; Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation of Huntsville, Alabama, for retiree work opportunities; and Blue Cross Blue Shield Association of Chicago, Illinois, for training and development opportunities.

Source: AARP News Release (September 25, 2007)