September 1, 2006

Two Iowa Companies Named Best Employers For Workers Over 50 - Stanley Consultants, Principal Financial Group Again Receive AARP Honor

DES MOINES - Stanley Consultants of Muscatine and The Principal Financial Group of Des Moines are among the top 50 employers around the country named by AARP as Best Employers for Workers Over 50.

The 2006 top finisher in the annual search - now in its sixth year - is Mercy Health System of Janesville, Wisconsin. Stanley Consultants, the 2005 top finishing company, and The Principal Financial Group finished 12th and 16th, respectively.

"Dynamic employers like Stanley Consultants and The Principal Financial Group recognize the importance of creating mutually beneficial, cross-generational work environments" said AARP Iowa State Director Bruce Koeppl. "They are to be congratulated for their outstanding practices, and for participating in the Best Employers search and evaluation process."

Koeppl said winning companies like The Principal and Stanley Consultants are making strategic business decisions to address the needs of an aging workforce by developing innovative policies. Among their outstanding practices are flexible scheduling, phased retirement, job sharing, telecommuting, generous 401(k) company contributions and compressed schedules.

Koeppl added that while many firms value 50+ workers for their experience, motivation, and strong engagement, AARP created the award program to recognize both innovative practices, and to the advantages older workers bring to business and industry, to help expand opportunities for 50+ workers.

AARP invites employers to apply for the Best Employer designation by submitting an application describing their exemplary practices toward older workers. A consulting firm provides a preliminary ranking of the applicants, then a panel of nine outside judges evaluates the applications. The judges’ rankings, along with the consultant’s evaluations, lead to the final rankings.

Key areas of consideration for award recognition are: recruiting practices, opportunities for training, education and career development; workplace accommodations; alternative work options; employee health and pension benefits; retiree benefits, and age diversity of the workforce.

Nearly one-half of the honorees - including both Principal Financial Group and Stanley Consultants, are previous winners in the annual AARP search.

The Principal Financial Group and Stanley Consultants will join with the 50 national companies honored at a dinner in Chicago on September 21. In connection with the event, AARP will convene a working conference of employers the next day to identify challenges - and solutions - associated with the aging of the workforce. AARP The Magazine will feature the Best Employers winners in its November-December issue.

To learn more about AARP’s work on 50+ workers, visit the AARP Employer Resource Center at www.aarp.org/employerresourcecenter.

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. We produce AARP The Magazine, published bimonthly; AARP Bulletin, our monthly newspaper; AARP Segunda Juventud, our bimonthly magazine in Spanish and English; NRTA Live & Learn, our quarterly newsletter for 50+ educators; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.