Avis Budget Car Rental

Winning Years: 2009, 2001
Industry: Transportation Services
Location: Parsippany, N.J.
Website: www.avisbudgetgroup.com

Highlights of 2009 Winning Strategies: Avis Budget Car Rental stays attuned to the needs of its employees by conducting employee opinion surveys every 18 months. Almost half of the company’s workforce, 47 percent, is age 50+.

Recruiting: Avis Budget Car Rental targets mature workers by consulting placement agencies for seniors, such as the Senior Community Service Employment Program. The company has also used city, state, and national events as platforms to inform workers age 50+ about the organization and to recruit them for employment.

Workplace Culture and Continued Opportunities: Avis Budget provides its full- and part-time employees both online and in-house classroom training. Full-time employees are also eligible for certification classes and a tuition-reimbursement program. In the past 12 months, 80 percent of employees took part in a learning opportunity, with the average employee spending 10 hours in training.

Avis Budget recognizes employees’ long-service milestones with announcements, parties, awards, gifts, and during the Annual Service & Outstanding Achievement Awards Dinner.

Every 18 months, the company conducts employee surveys to stay attuned to workers’ needs. Avis Budget has drawn a number of new initiatives from this survey, including new medical benefits, improved leave policies, and an improved focus on employee growth and development. Avis Budget employees who want to take advantage of new opportunities are allowed to take part in team projects, cross-training, and temporary assignments in other departments.

Benefits/Health: All employees working at least 20 hours per week are eligible for individual and family medical coverage, prescription-drug coverage, dental insurance, and vision coverage. Full-time employees working at least 32 hours per week are also eligible for short- and long-term disability coverage. In order to help employees deal with medical costs, Avis Budget offers health savings accounts (HSA) and flexible spending accounts (FSA).

Benefits/Financial: Full- and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week are eligible for a defined-benefit 401(k) plan with an employer match. In order to encourage employees to save for retirement, all employees are automatically enrolled and have the option to invest in life-cycle funds. Workers ages 50 or older are able to make catch-up contributions. Retirement-planning information is available on the Web site of the financial service firm that administers the retirement plan, and employees can also contact a retirement representative at their discretion.

To help employees with caregiving responsibilities, Avis Budget offers short- and long-term leave. The company also offers referral services for child care and eldercare.

Some full- and part-time employees are eligible for the following wellness benefits: flu shots, health-risk appraisals, smoking-cessation programs, and discounts to local health clubs, health screenings, physical activity and weight-loss programs, and stress-management training. Over the past 12 months, 22 percent of employees took part in at least one wellness program.

Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: Avis Budget offers its full- and part-time employees flextime and the option to telecommute. Full-time employees are allowed to move to part-time work on either a permanent or temporary basis.

Opportunities for Retirees: Avis Budget currently has 1,151 retirees who are eligible for lifetime car-rental discounts, part-time work, temporary work assignments, contract work, and telecommuting.

Age of Workforce: Currently, 47 percent of Avis Budget employees are age 50+ with an average tenure of 9.8 years.