AARP Again Names VCU a Top Employer for Workers Over 50
Tom Gresham
(804) 221-0528
VCU Communications and Public Relations
(804) 828-6051
tmgresham@vcu.edu
9/7/2011
AARP has ranked Virginia Commonwealth University among the top employers for older workers in the United States for the sixth time.
VCU placed 37th on the 2011 list of the AARP Best Employers for Workers Over 50, which highlights exemplary policies toward workers aged 50 and over. VCU received the honor previously in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. There was no award in 2010.
Key areas of consideration for the award are recruiting practices; opportunities for training; education and career development; benefits and health; and alternative work options, such as flexible scheduling, job sharing, compressed work schedules and telecommuting.
Thirty-eight percent of the workforce at VCU is 50 or older, and those employees have an average tenure of 16 years.
“We are pleased that the AARP has recognized us again for the work that we do with our employees over the age of 50," said Cindy Andrews, executive director for human resources at VCU. "Older workers are a vital part of the faculty and staff at VCU, and we've strived to ensure that we tailor our services and opportunities to meet their goals and needs with the same attention to the work/life balance that we provide the rest of our workforce."
VCU’s repeated recognition by the AARP can be traced to a number of initiatives that aid older workers. For instance, full- and part-time employees are offered learning and development programs such as in-house classroom training, online training and certification classes.
Other efforts include an eldercare support group that meets monthly and dependents of VCU employees are eligible for on-site, adult day services. Also, employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible for individual and family medical and prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, as well as short- and long-term disability.
VCU offers monthly sessions for employees on retirement options and monthly planning seminars for employees planning to retire under the defined benefits and defined contribution plans.
The AARP noted that any faculty member who retires from VCU is automatically a member of the Retired Faculty Council, which meets several times throughout the year. They are also eligible for discounts through the VCU Bookstore, VCU computer accounts and discounted rates are offered on Internet access, and theater, musical and athletic events on campus. In addition, they are eligible to audit up to three courses a semester tuition-free.
AARP The Magazine will feature the 2011 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.
- About VCU and the VCU Medical Center
Virginia Commonwealth University is a major, urban public research university with national and international rankings in sponsored research. Located on two downtown campuses in Richmond, VCU enrolls more than 32,000 students in 211 certificate and degree programs in the arts, sciences and humanities. Sixty-nine of the programs are unique in Virginia, many of them crossing the disciplines of VCU’s 13 schools and one college. MCV Hospitals and the health sciences schools of Virginia Commonwealth University compose the VCU Medical Center, one of the nation’s leading academic medical centers. For more, see www.vcu.edu.
