Yale-New Haven Hospital Is Among The Best For Workers Over 50

NEW HAVEN — Yale-New Haven Hospital is one of 50 employers around the country named by AARP as one of the Best Employers for Workers Over 50. The award, in its sixth year, was established by AARP to honor employers showing a commitment to an aging workforce.

AARP invites employers to apply for the designation by submitting an application describing their exemplary practices toward 50 and over workers.

Areas of consideration are: 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 benefits, and age diversity of the workforce.

Yale-New Haven Hospital ranked the fifth highest on AARP’s list of Best Employers. Mercy Health System in Wisconsin is No. 1; Lee Memorial Health System, Florida, No. 2; Bon Secours Richmond Health System, Virginia, No. 3; Leesburg Regional Medical Center and The Villages Regional Hospital, Florida, No. 4; Volkswagen of America, Inc, Michigan, No. 6; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massachusetts, No. 7; Oakwood Healthcare System, Inc, Michigan; No. 8; First Horizon National Corporation, Tennessee, No. 9; and Hoffmann-La Roche Inc, New Jersey, No. 10.

“Dynamic employers recognize the importance of creating a mutually beneficial work environment,” said Brenda Kelley, state director of AARP Connecticut. “Yale-New Haven is to be congratulated for participating in AARP’s Best Employers search and for undergoing a tough evaluation process.”

Yale-New Haven ranked ninth in AARP’s 2005 list of Best Employers. Connecticut firms Pitney Bowes and The Hartford Financial Services Group also were named last year. All three companies have been named twice.

Yale-New Haven offers its workers no-cost medical coverage based on need, lower-cost prescription drug coverage, coverage for civil union partners; and the cost of prescription eyeglasses. The hospital also offers tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, online training, certification classes, organizational training and team building retreats for full- and part-time employees.

For 50+ workers, it offers: retirement planning seminars, flextime and dependent life insurance for spouse and child; a Senior Aides Program that provides training and development for people 55 and older; and it uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees.

It also offers a quarterly program to help workers plan for retirement. And employees 50+ are offered an eight-month refresher educational program. Employees age 50+ are allowed to make “catch-up” contributions to their 401(k) account and also invest in lifecycle funds. The hospital also offers flex time, compressed work time, telecommuting, job sharing, and part-time work.

Twenty-six percent of the hospital’s employees are 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 19 years.

While many firms such as Yale-New Haven value 50+ workers for their experience, motivation, and strong engagement, other employers need to recognize the advantages that those workers bring to the table, Ms Kelley said.

Sixty percent of the Best Employer winners come from the healthcare sector. Sixty-four percent are private, nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations.

Yale-New Haven and the other awardees will be honored at a dinner in Chicago on September 21. In connection with the event, AARP will convene a working conference of employers the next day to identify challenges — and solutions — associated with the aging of the workforce. AARP The Magazine will feature the Best Employers winners in its November-December issue.

To learn more about AARP’s work on 50+ workers, visit the AARP Employer Resource Center at www.aarp.org/employerresourcecenter.