Prestige Services, Inc.

Winning Years: 2009
Industry: Industrial Sector - Food
Location: Clifton Park, N.Y.
Website: www.prestigeservicesinc.com

Highlights of 2009 Winning Strategies

Prestige Services offers older workers the ability to phase into retirement. While this program is not formalized, the company deals with each case individually. Forty-six percent of the workforce at Prestige is age 50 and older.

Recruiting: Prestige Services uses placement agencies for mature job seekers and recruitment strategies targeting housing complexes for older adults, libraries, and the County Office for the Aging. Currently, 16.5 percent of Prestige employees are age 65+, and 46 percent are 50 or older.

Workplace Culture and Continued Opportunities: All Prestige employees are eligible for tuition reimbursement, in-house classroom training, online training, and certification classes. Over the past 12 months, 10 percent of the company's employees took part in at least one of its learning opportunities, with the average staff member receiving six hours of instruction. In order to help employees gain new skills and experience, Prestige offers staff members the opportunity to take part in team projects, cross-training, and temporary assignments in other departments.

Benefits/Health: Employees working at least 30 hours per week are eligible for individual and family medical and prescription-drug coverage and dental and vision coverage.  All employees are eligible for both short- and long-term disability insurance.

Benefits/Financial: Full- and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week are eligible for an employer-matched, defined-contribution 401(k) plan. Representatives of the financial-services firm that administers the retirement plan offer the staff financial-planning advice and information.

To help employees with caregiving responsibilities, Prestige permits unpaid short- and long-term leave. Also available to these employees are referral services to care providers of children, grandchildren, and elders.

Benefits/Alternative-Work Arrangements: Full- and part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week are eligible for flextime, job-sharing, and phased retirement. Full-time employees working 40 hours per week are also eligible for telecommuting and compressed-work schedules. Full-time employees can move to part-time work either temporarily or permanently.

Opportunities for Retirees: Prestige Services has 25 retirees, all of whom benefit from a staff member who is directly responsible for retiree relations. Retirees are eligible for part-time and consulting work and for temporary assignments.

Age of Workforce: Forty-six percent of Prestige Services employees are age 50+, with an average tenure of 9.5 years. … Back to Article