2009 AARP International Innovative Employer Award Recognizes Ten Winners From Four Countries

      

WASHINGTON, Sept. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In recognition of growing international attention to the implications of an aging workforce, AARP today announced the 10 winners of the 2009 AARP International Innovative Employer Award program. The award, designed to promote innovative human resource and workforce practices around the world, recognized winners from Canada, Germany, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070209/NYF043LOGO)

"Now in its second year, the AARP International Innovative Employer Award focuses global attention on the need to retain mature and experienced employees to keep a competitive edge in today's marketplace," said AARP Chief Operating Officer Thomas C. Nelson. "The innovative workforce practices our winners are employing today are creating the roadmap for tomorrow's workplace."

AARP selected the following 10 companies and organizations for their innovative human resource and workforce practices that address issues relevant to older workers:

    --  Adecco Employment Services Limited (Adecco Canada), Toronto, Canada
        --  Service Sector, 436 employees; 13% 50+
    --  BMW, Munich, Germany
        --  Motor Vehicles Production, 71,596 employees; 20% 50+
    --  BT Group plc, London, United Kingdom
        --  Telecommunications, 103,524 employees; 30% 50+
    --  Centrica plc, Windsor, United Kingdom
        --  Utilities, 27,338 employees; 14% 50+
    --  Domestic & General Services Limited, Nottingham, United Kingdom
        --  Insurance, 747 employees; 9% 50+
    --  Housing & Development Board, Singapore
        --  Public Sector, 4,949 employees; 34% 50+
    --  National Healthcare Group, Singapore
        --  Health Care, 9819 employees; 16% 50+
    --  Royal Plaza on Scotts, Singapore
        --  Hotels/Lodging, 393 employees; 25% 50+
    --  SICK AG, Waldkirch, Germany
        --  Industrial Equipment/Commercial Machinery, 1879 employees; 17% 50+
    --  Sozial-Holding der Stadt Monchengladbach, Monchengladbach, Germany

        --  Health Care, 740 employees; 35% 50+

AARP teamed with a network of international collaborating organizations with expertise on age and employment issues to promote the international award program, including 50&Piu (Italy); BAGSO (Germany); CARP (Canada); Council for Third Age (Singapore); DaneAge (Denmark); DDN -- The Demography Network (Germany); The Gerontology Institute at Dortmund University (Germany); and TAEN -- The Age and Employment Network (United Kingdom).

The AARP International Innovative Employer Awards are open to all non-U.S.-based employers. 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 retirement benefits; and retiree relations.

AARP The Magazine will feature the AARP International Innovative Employer Award in its November-December issue, available in homes September 24, 2009. The article will also be available online at www.aarpmagazine.org

Award ceremonies will be held in Canada, Germany, the UK, and Singapore to honor winning employers from each country.

For more information about the AARP International Innovative Employer Awards, please visit: www.aarp.org/bestemployers.

About AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.5 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's 40 million members and Americans 50+; AARP Segunda Juventud, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP