Young and marketable employees take note: How does your employer compare to this year's Top Employers for Canadians Over 40?

TORONTO, April 13, 2015 /CNW/ - Youth is full of pleasance, Shakespeare observed, but age is full of care.  There are few areas where the contrast is more vivid than in the realm of employment, where early choices lead to dramatic outcomes later in life.  It is reassuring to see that some employers are paying close attention to their employees' needs as they turn the page from youth to middle-age and beyond.  The nation's best were recognized today as this year's Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 were announced.

"When they are young, job-seekers often don't realize what a profound difference that pension and other retirement-related benefits make," says Richard Yerema, Managing Editor of the Canada's Top 100 Employers project at Mediacorp Canada Inc., which organizes the competition.  "From financial security to emotional well-being, how employers treat their employees in the second-half of their careers is often far more important than what they do in the first half."

Published annually since 2001, the Top Employers for Canadians Over 40 recognizes organizations that outperform their peers based on eight criteria: (1) they offer interesting programs to assist older workers; (2) they actively recruit new workers aged 40 years or older; (3) their HR policies take into account the unique concerns of older workers, such as recognizing outside work experience in determining vacation entitlement; (4) they offer a pension plan with reasonable employer contributions; (5) they assist older employees with retirement and succession planning; (6) they create opportunities for retirees to stay socially connected to former co-workers through organized social activities and volunteering; (7) they extend health coverage and similar benefits to employees after retirement; and (8) whether they offer any programs, such as mentorship and phased-in retirement, to ease the emotional challenges of retirement and ensure older employees' skills are transferred to the next generation.

The full list of this year's Top Employers for Canadians Over 40, with the editors' reasons for selection, was published this morning at: http://www.canadastop100.com/over40

SOURCE Mediacorp Canada Inc.

Kristina Leung, Senior Editor, 416-964-6069 x1464