GSK, Blue Cross make best workplace list for 50-plus set

Three North Carolina employers have been named as good places to work if you're 50 or older.

GlaxoSmithKline and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina — two of the Triangle's larger employers — made the annual list compiled by the AARP, the nonprofit membership group that advocates for older Americans.

In the Triad, the nonprofit Winston-Salem Industries for the Blind was chosen.

This is the second time Blue Cross has made the list while both GSK and the Industries for the Blind are making their debut.

In compiling the list, the AARP looks at recruiting practices; training and educational opportunities; workplace flexibility in terms of scheduling, job sharing and phased retirement; retirement benefits and work opportunities for retirees.

GSK, the pharmaceutical giant which employs more than 5,000 in the Triangle, hit on all those marks.

According to AARP, 24 percent of GSK's U.S. employees are age 50 or above and have worked with the company an average of 17 years.

Many of the perks AARP spotlights are offered to all GSK employees who work at least 20 hours a week. Among the highlights: tuition reimbursement, job rotation, backup and on-site child care and eldercare and wellness programs.

The company's 9,841 retirees have a staff member dedicated to their needs. In addition to company events, GSK helps start retiree clubs and supports an annual retiree meeting. In addition, a retiree may work up to 18 months in a temporary assignment.

At Blue Cross Blue Shield, which is headquartered in Durham, more than 22 percent of the employees are 50 or older and have been with the company an average of 12 years.

When employees retire they can be rehired in temporary full- and part-time positions. Other perks that appealed to the AARP include: reimbursement for tuition, books and fees for classes taken at its Blue University, support for employees who care for aging parents, backup care for children and grandchildren.