S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.: AARP Best Employers 2008

By: AARP.org | Source: AARP.org | September 2008

Winning years: 2008, 2007, 2006
Industry: Industrial - Other
Location: Racine, Wis.
URL: www.scjohnson.com
2008 Rank: 3

Highlights of 2008 Winning Strategies

One of AARP’s top-10 Best Employers for Workers Over 50 in 2008, S.C. Johnson builds strength in its employees with a wide range of work options and development programs. S.C. Johnson’s workforce has an average tenure of more than 14 years of service to the company. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 23 years. The company offers numerous development programs largely used by employees age 50+, including a formal mentoring program, a Management Success and Development System that ensures proper career development as employees make the transition into retirement, and an Executive Shadowing Program. Upon retirement, S.C. Johnson retirees may take advantage of an honorary membership in the company’s 100,000 square-foot recreation and fitness facility, with many programs developed exclusively for retirees.

Additional Policies and Practices:

Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: To its full- and part-time employees, S.C. Johnson offers the following learning and development programs: tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, online training, and certification classes. Employees must work 20+ hours per week to be eligible for these programs. In the past 12 months, 100 percent of S.C. Johnson employees took part in at least one of these opportunities, with an average of 40 hours spent in training. The company commemorates long-service anniversaries with announcements, parties, and awards. Employees with 20+ years of service become part of the 20-Year Club, which has more than 2,500 members.

In addition, the Johnson Learning Institute offers more than 40 courses to employees to ensure job and career success. Employees are able to develop new skills by working on temporary assignments in other departments, on team projects, and by having access to a formal rotation program.

Benefits/Health: Full- and part-time employees working 20 or more hours a week receive individual and family medical coverage, individual and family prescription-drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, and short- and long-term disability.

Health benefits for retirees below 65 and 65+ include individual and spousal medical and drug coverage, vision and dental insurance, long-term care insurance, EAP services, and life insurance or other death-benefit coverage. New hires are eligible for all these benefits upon retirement.

S.C. Johnson offers employees flexible-spending accounts to assist in covering out-of-pocket health care costs. Other retiree health benefits with no out-of-pocket cost to the retiree include access to the Johnson Mutual Benefits Association and Wellness Center, health risk assessments and coaching, disease management, a patient advocacy line, the 24-hour Mayo-clinic nurse health line, and the Mayo Web health site.

Benefits/Financial: S.C. Johnson offers the following retirement plans to its full- and part-time employees: 401(k) plan with employer match, money-purchase defined-contribution plan cash balance or other hybrid, stock options, and a defined-benefit plan.

The company offers a Web-based financial education and planning resource program to assist employees in achieving their financial goals and resolving financial issues. The company offers paid time off specifically designated for caregiving, short-term time off without pay, and long-term leaves of absence without pay to allow for caregiving. One distinctive caregiving program offered by the company is a $50 per-night reimbursement to cover costs associated with child or eldercare when traveling for S.C. Johnson business. 

Another program pays 75 percent of the cost (up to $50 per occasion and $500 per year) for an employee’s child or elder dependent to attend a special sick-care program at a hospital if the employee does not want to take time off for caregiving.

The following wellness programs are offered to full- and part-time employees: flu shots, health screenings, health-risk appraisals, smoking-cessation programs, health club discounts, physical activity and exercise programs, weight loss programs, and stress management training. Eighty percent of the company’s employees have used at least one of the wellness benefits in the past 12 months. The company offers on-site child and grandchild care, referral services to assist with childcare, care for grandchildren, and eldercare, and backup care for children, grandchildren, and elders, to its full- and part-time employees.

Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: S.C. Johnson offers its full- and part-time employees the following alternative work arrangements: flextime, compressed work schedules, job sharing, and telecommuting. Full-time employees are eligible to move to part-time work on a permanent or temporary basis.

Opportunities for Retirees: S.C. Johnson currently has 1,655 retirees and an employee directly responsible for retiree relations. The company stays connected with its retirees by communicating regularly, inviting them to the organization’s events and celebrations, providing ongoing access to retirement planning workshops and information, and by formally acknowledging retirees when they retire. The Retiree Activity Program and the 20-Year Club are two organizations that directly offer S.C. Johnson retirees a connection to the company. S.C. Johnson offers retirees temporary work assignments, consulting and contract work, telecommuting, and part-time work.

Age of Workforce: Thirty-five percent of the company’s employees are age 50+. The average tenure of employees age 50+ is 23 years.