Ageism, the prejudice against older members of the population, exists in many workplaces. From time to time, older employees find themselves pushed out or forced into early retirement for one reason or another, despite the fact that they are completely capable of fulfilling their responsibilities to the company. According to
AARP,
Chicago jobs exist that are extremely friendly to workers over 50 years old.
AARP recently announced the top 50 best employers for workers over 50 to work for in the nation and found that two are in
Chicago.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), which is headquartered in the city, and
New Horizons were found to have a great environment for older employees. Also making the list in Illinois was
Centegra Health System, which is in Crystal Lake, and
Hanson Professional Services of Springfield.
"Employers across the country are increasingly recognizing the importance of innovative practices as they seek to recruit and retain experienced workers," said AARP"s Illinois State Director Bob Gallo. "AARP is honored to award these four Illinois companies for being ahead of the curve."
The corporation chose to award these honors based on a number of criteria that showed concern for the needs of mature workers. According to a recent press release, these included; workplace accommodations, alternative work options (for example: flexible scheduling, job sharing and phased retirement), employee health and pension benefits and retiree work opportunities.
BCBSA was chosen in part to its Mature Worker Program which has a variety of benefits for employees who are over the age of 55.
"AARP's recognition underscores Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association's commitment to enhancing the lives of our members and employees -- of all ages," said BCBSA president and CEO Scott P. Serota. "We are proud to have a strong professional workforce of employees and are pleased to reward their dedication with competitive benefits, pay and human resources initiatives."
New Horizons was recognized for the training and wellness programs they provide for its employees who are over 50.
AARP will honor the winners at a dinner in Chicago that is scheduled to take place on October 7th.
Labels: chicago jobs
A recent budget cut in the
Chicago public school district will alleviate property taxes on residents, but will result in the loss of several hundred jobs. According to the
Chicago Tribune, the city's
Board of Education hopes to ease the stress put on area taxpayers that were effected by last fall's tax hike under
Mayor Richard Daley.
In order to lower taxes after one of the greatest increases in the city's history, more than 400
Chicago jobs will be lost and over 70 schools will be expected to consolidate their bus routes. This $5.1 billion spending plan will be made possible by dipping into $100 million in reserve funds.
The Board of Education budget will be increasing by 4.3 percent this year in order to help pay for an agreed upon raise in teachers' salaries. As part of a five-year contract with educators, the Board is expected to boost teachers' pay by 4 percent each year.
The additional .3 percent increase in spending will result in an extra $40 million going towards improving high school instruction. The Board plans on creating programs to assist underperforming schools and help new freshmen get used to high school.
At a recent meeting, the president of the
Civic Federation Laurence Msall stated that he approved the district's efforts to fix budget problems without adding pressure to tax payers. Despite the applause, the nonpartisan government watchdog group issued a report urging officials to come up with a detailed long-term capital improvement plan in order to analyze future proposals with consideration to declining enrollment in the district. Msall did not mention how the group he represents feels the job cuts will effect the area.
Labels: chicago jobs
