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CAFE 15th Anniversary Event

Save the Date

On October 14, 2021, the Age-Friendly Institute will mark the 15th year of the Certified Age Friendly Employer (CAFE) Program with a special convening of national policy makers, researchers from academia and senior representatives from certified employers.  Representatives from employers will include individuals from the C-Suite, such as CMOs, Chief Diversity and People Officers, as well as Chief Talent Acquisition leaders.  The virtual meeting’s purpose is to share best practices and learnings from applying CAFE standards in American and international workplaces.  It will be moderated by Tim Driver, President of The Age-Friendly Institute.

About the CAFE Program

The Age-Friendly Institute’s Certified Age Friendly Employer (CAFE) program is an initiative to identify those organizations that are committed to being the best places to work for employees at or above age 50, and to assist age 50+ job seekers by identifying age friendly employers. Demographic shifts resulting from increases in life expectancy mean that traditional retirement is not likely to exist in the future. Instead, we will see longer employment, increasingly phased retirement, part-time or reduced hours, and other modified employment options that are conducive to continued participation in the workforce. Employers that address the needs of older workers will benefit not only themselves, but the economy as a whole.

Certified employers are those that value employees based solely on their proficiency, qualifications and contribution, and also maintain policies, practices and programs supporting people age 50 and older. Further, Certified Age Friendly Employers want age 50+ candidates to know they are valued for their knowledge, maturity, reliability and productivity as well as their commitment to provide meaningful employment, development opportunities and competitive pay and benefits for those employees.

This special designation means the Age-Friendly Institute has determined — following a confidential, comprehensive, in-depth analysis based on interviews with authorized employer representatives – that the employer meets the Institute’s Age-Friendly Certification Standards. Meeting these Certification Standards specifically includes the employer showing a commitment to employ individuals over age 50 and to internally investigate employee complaints regarding age discrimination. Certified Age Friendly Employers pay an application fee based on their size, as measured by number of employees. Certification does not mean that the employer’s products or services have been evaluated or endorsed as age-friendly by the Institute. Not all organizations that apply for certification earn it; however, in these cases, the Institute will confidentially identify key weaknesses in the employer’s program so that they may improve those deficiencies and reapply in the future.

Certification Purpose

The purpose of the Age Friendly Employer Certification program is to assist age 50+ job seekers by identifying those employers committed to objectively considering them for appropriate employment, free of age bias or discrimination. Certified Age Friendly Employers want age 50+ candidates to know they are valued for their knowledge, maturity, reliability and productivity.

Out of need or choice, an increasing percentage of people over age 50 are remaining in the workforce longer or are returning to work after a period away from the workforce. Some plan to remain in their mainstream careers while others seek different challenges or opportunities.

Mature workers generate measurably higher customer satisfaction rates. They also remain three times longer in their jobs than younger workers, thus reducing the significant costs associated with hiring new workers.

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