AARP Again Names VCU a Top Employer for Workers Over 50

By Tom Gresham

AARP has ranked Virginia Commonwealth University among the top employers for older workers in the United States for the fifth consecutive year.

VCU places 24th on the 2009 list of the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50 – the same spot it held on the list a year ago. The AARP honor is designed to highlight exemplary policies toward workers aged 50 and over.

Key areas of consideration for the award 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 retirement benefits and retiree work opportunities. More than 200 employers applied this year for the Best Employers list, the highest total of applicants in the nine-year history of the program.

“It is a great honor for AARP to have recognized VCU five consecutive years for our work with older workers,” said Cindy Andrews, executive director for human resources at VCU. “Employees over the age of 50 are critical contributors to the university’s mission, and we have provided close attention to the particular issues that they face, offering an always-evolving list of services and opportunities that help them in their careers and lives.”

Thirty-seven percent of the workforce at VCU is 50 or older, and those employees have an average tenure of 15.5 years.

VCU’s repeated recognition by the AARP can be traced to a number of initiatives that aid older workers. For instance, VCU partners with the VCU Health Systems’ Geriatric Services to provide employees with a variety of programs and resources on aging and caregiving. The partnership includes an elder care support group that meets regularly for employees. 

Other efforts include a number of well-attended educational programs that serve all age groups, such as programs covering finance, work/life issues and health and wellness. In addition, VCU employees are eligible for an on-site adult daycare program for employee dependents and VCU retirees can join the retiree roster, which is used to fill temporary, short-term vacancies.

AARP The Magazine will feature the 2009 Best Employers in its November-December issue. The article will be available online at http://www.aarpmagazine.org. For more information, visit http://www.aarp.org/bestemployers, which includes background on each employer’s workforce practices.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial to them and society as a whole.