The YMCA of Greater Rochester

Winning Years: 2011, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005
Industry: Not for Profit: Philanthropic Association
Location: Rochester, N.Y.
Website: www.rochesterymca.org

The YMCA of Greater Rochester has a full-time retiree liaison who manages all employee support and relations activities, including special social events. The organization also maintains a roster of outside retirees available for work, and calls on them for temporary assignments, consulting projects, telecommuting opportunities, full and part-time work, and volunteer or donor fundraising activities.

See also: How the 2011 Best Employers winners were selected.

Additional Policies and Practices:

Recruiting: The YMCA uses senior placement agencies to target mature workers and retirees and partners with Lifespan, an organization dedicated to helping older adults find employment.
 
Workplace Culture / Continued Opportunities: Employees working 20 or more hours per week are eligible for tuition reimbursement while all employees receive in-house classroom training, online training and certification classes. In addition, employees working 20 or more hours per week can participate in YMCA University, which provides online training in a variety of subjects in conjunction with Cornell University.

Mentoring Across Generations is the YMCA's formal mentoring program.

Long-service anniversaries are celebrated with announcements, parties and awards.

Employees gain new experiences by working on temporary assignments in other departments, on team projects and by participating in formal job rotation programs.

The YMCA provides accommodations for employees such as TTYs for employees with hearing impairment, ergonomic evaluations, facilities accessible to the physically challenged including a modified rope climbing course, wheelchair access pools and a campground. They also offer sign language interpreters and voice recognition software for employees with dyslexia.

Benefits/Health: Employees working 20 or more hours per week receive individual and family medical and prescription drug coverage, individual and family vision and dental insurance, individual and family long-term care insurance, as well as short- and long-term disability.

Health benefits for retirees pre-65 include individual and spouse medical and drug coverage, individual and spouse vision and dental coverage, as well as individual and spouse life insurance or other death benefit coverage.

Health benefits for retirees 65 and over include individual and spouse medical and drug coverage, individual and spouse vision and dental coverage, individual and spouse long-term care insurance, the services of an employee assistance program (EAP), as well as individual and spouse life insurance or other death benefit coverage.  

All of the above benefits are available to new hires upon retirement.

Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) are available to assist in covering out-of-pocket health care costs. Retirees also receive a YMCA family or individual membership and a monetary benefit for participating in fitness and weight management programs.

Next: Financial benefits and alternative work arrangements. >>