Best Employers for People Over 50

The AARP (American Association of Retired People) lists some of the best companies to work for, if you’re over 50 – companies who do an excellent job of attracting and retaining “bright old things”. In a world where we tend to discard experience (and wisdom), this isn’t a bad idea. Check out the full list here.
For a taster, consider the following:
# Volkswagen of America administers a flexible-spending program that allows employees to allocate $5,000 in pre-tax earnings annually into elder-care accounts.
# Hoffmann-LaRoche runs an on-site “temp agency” that places retired employees in short-term job openings. The program is designed “to meet the personal work/life needs of retirees,” while taking advantage of “a wealth of experience that new entrants do not have.”
# Pitney Bowes, along with several other companies on the list, makes special accommodations for employees with age-related health problems. In one typical instance, a Pitney Bowes worker who developed a chronic heart condition received training so that he could move from a physically strenuous position to a desk job that called for computer skills.
# Principal Financial Group, rather than focusing most of its training efforts on new hires and young employees as most companies do, offers lifelong learning, emphasizing leadership development for workers over 50.