Manheim

Winning Years: 2009, 2008
Industry: Wholesale Trade
Location: Atlanta, Ga.
Website: www.manheim.com

Highlights of 2009 Winning Strategies

This marks the second in which Manheim is awarded a spot on AARP's Best Employers for Workers Over 50. With 53 percent of its workers over the age of 50, and 43 percent of employees hired in 2008 over the age of 50, Manheim has demonstrated commitment to the value that mature workers have to offer.

Recruiting: Manheim uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees.

Workplace Culture/Continued Opportunities: All Manheim employees can take advantage of the company's learning and development opportunities, which include in-house classroom training, certification classes, online training, and American Management Association classes. Full-time employees working at least 30 hours per week can also receive tuition reimbursement. Thirty-three percent of Manheim employees used at least one of its educational opportunities in 2008, for an average of six hours of instruction per employee.

Manheim celebrates employees' long-service anniversaries with announcements, parties, and awards. Managers have made the following changes in workplace policies in response to employee opinion surveys: increasing Manheim's course offerings, launching Manheim University, and creating an online Career Development Center. Employees interested in career development can take advantage of temporary assignments in other departments, team projects, a formal job-rotation program, and cross-training events.

Benefits/Health: Full-time employees working at least 30 hours per week are offered the following individual and family health benefits: medical, prescription-drug, vision, dental, long-term-care, and short- and long-term disability coverage. Manheim also offers health flexible spending accounts (FSA) to help employees manage their out-of-pocket medical expenses. The company also offers workers a free physical exam every other year.

Benefits/Financial: To help employees save for retirement, Manheim provides a 401(k) plan with an employer match. All employees are automatically enrolled in the plan, all can choose to invest in life-cycle funds, and workers age 50+ can make catch-up contributions. External financial-planning experts and experts from the financial services firm that administers the company's 401(k) plan provide employees financial-planning information and training. To facilitate financial planning, Manheim provides one-on-one assistance, workshops, and consultation on retirement-plan estimates.

Manheim employees who are caregivers may take unpaid leave for short periods of time to attend to their responsibilities.

The following wellness benefits are available to full- and part-time employees: flu shots, health-risk appraisals, weight-loss programs, and smoking-cessation programs. Manheim offers discounts at local health clubs exclusively to full-time staff. The company also provides referral services to assist full-time employees looking for care for children, grandchildren, and elders.

Benefits/Alternative Work Arrangements: Full- and part-time employees may take advantage of the flextime and job-sharing benefits that Manheim offers. Full-time employees can also benefit by having compressed-work schedules, telecommuting, and temporarily or permanently moving to part-time positions.

Opportunities for Retirees: Manheim’s 3,013 retirees benefit from the dedicated services of a staff member directly responsible for retiree relations. The company stays connected with its retirees through regular communication, by formally acknowledging retirements, and via its quarterly magazine. Retirees can also take temporary assignments, consulting work, and full- and part-time positions at Manheim.

Age of Workforce: Fifty-three percent of Manheim employees are age 50+, with an average tenure of seven years.