Much has been said about the number of older workers staying in the workforce. Whether it’s to make up for a retirement savings shortage or a passion for work that people are able to do well even when they pass a typical retirement age, people are working longer. 
Smart employers are seizing the opportunity to reap the benefits of a group of older workers—benefits that come from employees who, because of their perspective and experience, may be better at problem solving, thinking ahead, and keeping setbacks in perspective. Often, however, employers—even those eager to retain older workers—inadvertently make the workplace inhospitable for people who may be caring for teens and aging parents simultaneously or have other demands on their time and attention.
A lot of employers are getting it right, though. In June, AARP and the Society for Human Resource Management, released a list of what the organization deemed the best employers for workers over 50. The practices of that list of employers, which runs the gamut of hospitals, universities, banks, insurance companies, manufacturers, and more, can provide ideas for other employers interested in attracting and retaining older workers.
Here are just a few practices of some of the listed employers:
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) employees receive financial planning information that includes seminars on topics such as estate planning, college funding, and investing. Also, NIH has a website of employment opportunities especially for retired federal employees, and it participates in job fairs for 50-plus jobseekers. The employer, based in Bethesda, Maryland, also notifies its own recent retirees of new job openings. Forty-seven percent of the employees at NIH are at least 50, and the average tenure of employees 50 and older is 18.4 years.
- Scripps Health, based in San Diego, offers staged retirement programs for eligible employees at least 55 in which employees are able to collect full-time benefits and withdraw retirement funds while working part time. Scripps workers also can take advantage of a variety of learning and development programs, including tuition reimbursement. Scripps stays in touch with retirees and allows them opportunities such as temporary, full-time, and part-time work. Thirty-six percent of the employer’s workers are at least 50, and the average tenure of those employees is 15 years.
- Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond makes retired faculty members of the Retired Faculty Council, which provides a way for retirees to stay involved with the university and gives them discounts at the campus bookstore and for theater, musical, and athletic events on campus. Another bonus: Retirees can audit up to three courses a semester for free. The university also uses senior placement agencies and its own retirees to target older workers and retirees for job opportunities. Thirty-eight percent of the university’s employees are at least 50, and the average tenure of those workers is 15.9 years.
- S&T Bank in Indiana, Pennsylvania, allows employees participating in a wellness rewards program to earn funds for their Health Reimbursement Account by completing wellness-related activities focusing on lifestyle improvement, condition management, and preventive care. The company’s retirees also can work in part-time or temporary jobs and by doing consulting or contract work. Forty-one percent of the bank’s employees are at least 50, and the average tenure of those employees is 13.4 years.
- Stanley Consultants in Muscatine, Iowa, uses an “open-ended” phased retirement program in which employees customize a retirement plan. Retirees can take advantage of a nurse hotline, an online Personal Health Assessment (PHA) and a disease management program. In addition, they get a monetary wellness incentive for having an annual physical and the PHA. Forty-two percent of the company’s employees are at least 50, and their average tenure is 13.2 years.
- Michelin North America, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, provides affordable health care to all employees. Retirees and families covered under the company’s medical plan also are eligible for care at the health center, which provides discounted care and free lab services. Thirty-seven percent of Michelin employees are at least 50, and their average tenure is 23.5 years.
- Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind, Inc. in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, hosts annual health fairs for employees that offer bone density tests, dental exams, blood pressure tests, support groups for eye diseases and other health conditions, nutrition classes, and a diabetes and hypertension prevention and management program. The employer also has its own transportation system used by many of its older employees. Fifty percent of the employees are 50 or older, and their average tenure is 6.3 years.