The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) issued the following news release:
Cornell University's students, faculty and alumni have long been known for being proud of the high academic standards of the Ivy League school located in Ithaca, New York. They now have another reason to be proud of the 'Big Red.' Cornell has landed on top of the list of the 2008 AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50, announced today by AARP CEO Bill Novelli.
Cornell joins a broad group of employers in the top 50 that includes Scripps Health of San Diego (#2), multi-national corporation S. C. Johnson and Son, Inc. (#3) of Racine, Wisconsin, and the first federal agency to make the list, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of Bethesda, MD, (#11).
Additionally, AARP The Magazine will feature the 2008 Best Employers in its November-December issue, in homes September 25, along with an extensive feature story on re-careering and discovering new passions at age 50+. The complete article and list can also be found online at www.aarpthemagazine.org.
'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,' Novelli said in announcing the winners. 'Progressive practices lead to more productive workers.'
Novelli noted that in the face of rising health care costs, many Best Employers are adopting practices such as health screenings and other wellness programs that will pay off for both the employee and the employer.
Cornell University President David Skorton said: 'This award confirms that Cornell University is coming ever closer to what we set out to achieve - to be an inclusive and caring community of staff, students and faculty who comprise an institution that imparts an uncommon sense of purpose to its every endeavor.
'We are honored to be recognized as a top employer for those Cornellians who work so hard to make this a special place to work, study, create and discover and who have had a career-long experience of meaningful employment,' President Skorton added.
Cornell 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. The university also has established a special program called Opportunities for Healthy Aging. It provides older adults nine classes per week, with titles such as 'Staying Strong,' 'Gentle Yoga,' and 'Core Conditioning.' In addition, there are weight loss workshops and stress management programs.
The university's wellness program also provides access to five fitness centers on campus, an ice skating rink and several swimming pools, along with group fitness and nutrition classes.
Cornell's forward-thinking policies, in addition to its wellness programs, 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.
Scripps Health, a non-profit health care system that employs 12,300 and serves 500,000 patients annually in San Diego County, offers an extensive wellness program as well. Nearly 75 percent of its employees are enrolled, receiving free health insurance and other incentives for completing the required number of wellness activities annually. These include, for example, fitness and nutrition challenges, preventive screenings, and wellness assessments.
S. C. Johnson and Son, Inc. is a 122-year-old, family-owned and managed company that employs 12,000 people world-wide and sells consumer-packed products in more than 110 countries. S. C. Johnson has generous wellness, fitness and recreation programs in addition to providing an on-site medical center.
The National Institutes of Health, the first federal agency honored by AARP in the history of its Best Employers program, also offers a variety of wellness programs, including a fitness center and classes focusing on such issues as smoking cessation and stress management.
The Best Employers winners, and the winners of a separate AARP International Innovative Employer Award, will be honored at a dinner on October 7 in Chicago. Go to www.aarp.org/money/work/best_employers for information on the Best Employers and International Innovative Employee Awards. A CEO roundtable will also be held that day, focusing on AARP's new workforce assessment tool and the importance for employers of evaluating their workforce to determine future employee needs.
AARP invites employers to apply for the Best Employers honor by submitting an application outlining their exemplary policies and practices toward 50 and over workers.
Candidates are vetted to ensure that practices meet the needs of mature workers. Key areas of consideration include: recruiting practices, opportunities for training, education and career development; workplace accommodations; alternative work options, such as flexible scheduling, job sharing, and phased retirement; employee health and pension benefits; retiree work opportunities, and training and development.
2008 AARP Best Employers Winners
Rank Company Name City State
1 Cornell University Ithaca NY
2 Scripps Health San Diego CA
3 S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. Racine WI
4 The YMCA of Greater Rochester Rochester NY
5 Lee Memorial Health System Fort Myers FL
6 Securian St. Paul MN
7 First Horizon National Corporation Memphis TN
8 Stanley Consultants Muscatine IA
9 Bon Secours Richmond Health System Richmond VA
10 Blue Cross Blue Shield Association Chicago IL
11 National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD
12 Central Florida Health Alliance Leesburg FL
13 Brevard Public Schools Viera FL
14 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA
15 Atlantic Health Morristown NJ
16 TriHealth, Inc. Cincinnati OH
17 Mercy Health System Janesville WI
18 Adecco Group North America Melville NY
19 Beaumont Hospitals Royal Oak MI
20 L.L.Bean, Inc. Freeport ME
21 Massachusetts General Hospital Boston MA
22 Jennings Center for Older Adults Garfield Heights OH
23 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Durham NC
24 Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond VA
25 Pinnacol Assurance Denver CO
26 Saint Vincent Health System Erie PA
27 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association Arlington VA
28 Centegra Health System Crystal Lake IL
29 Frankford Candy & Chocolate Co. Philadelphia PA
30 Nashoba Valley Medical Center Ayer MA
31 George Mason University Fairfax VA
32 Wells Fargo & Company San Francisco CA
33 Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Newark NJ
34 Harvard University Cambridge MA
35 N. California Presbyterian Homes & Services San Francisco CA
36 Manheim Atlanta GA
37 ACUITY Sheboygan WI
38 DentaQuest Charlestown MA
39 The Aerospace Corporation El Segundo CA
40 Express Personnel Services Oklahoma City OK
41 Nevada Federal Credit Union Las Vegas NV
42 Pepco Holdings Inc. Washington DC
43 Michelin North America Greenville SC
44 Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation Huntsville AL
45 Pearson Upper Saddle River NJ
46 CTTRANSIT Hartford CT
47 Vanguard Valley Forge PA
48 Centers for New Horizons Chicago IL
49 Hanson Professional Services Inc. Springfield IL
50 FINRA Washington DC
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