New York Academy of Medicine Launches First Annual Age Smart Employer Awards

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New York, NY (PRWEB) August 14, 2013

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) announces the first annual Age Smart Employer Awards, the first of its kind that honors New York City employers who value workers of all ages. With a deadline to submit applications by October 1, 2013 online, the Awards is an initiative by NYAM and Age-Friendly NYC and funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Winners will join the distinguished family of Sloan Award winners throughout the U.S., as well as having exclusive use of the Age Smart Employer Awards 2013 logo, promotion at national and international conferences and will be honored at a ceremony with civic and business leaders in January 2014.

“Today, 700,000 of New York City’s workers are over 55 and they hold a disproportionate percentage of jobs that support the sectors and industries that drive NYC’s economy,” says Nancy Ploeger, President of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce. “It is important for New York businesses to plan for population aging and to take action to enhance the contributions of older workers as a key competitive advantage. NYAM’s Age Smart Employer Awards will rightly recognize those organizations who are leading the way to use every employee’s best abilities.”

“For the first time in history, the number of older adults in developed countries is growing faster than the number of young people,” says Ruth Finkelstein, Senior Vice President of Policy and Planning at NYAM. “Fueled by increased longevity and declining birth rates, this global phenomenon is transforming societies and economies around the world and is reflected in our workforce. Companies such as BMW, Wells Fargo and Marriott International have already implemented strategies that address the aging workforce, demonstrating increases in productivity and/or profits. Our mission is to acknowledge NYC companies who are also embracing the multigenerational workplace, creating innovative and talented management to stay ahead of the curve.”

Employers of all types and sizes are eligible, including for-profit, non-profit and public entities. Organizations will be considered, based on their ability to demonstrate that their workplace optimizes the talent of older workers and creates environments that capitalize on age-diverse workforces, while meeting both business and employee goals. While applicants do not necessarily have to be headquartered in NYC, there must be a workforce presence in New York City and they must have been in operation for at least one year.

An external selection committee which includes leaders in City & State, technology, healthcare, and other corporate, private and public companies will choose the winners. The committee includes: Committee Chair Robert Kaufman of Proskauer Rose LLP; Suri Duitch of the City University of New York; William Floyd of Google; Tom Harrison of Omnicom; Michael Hodin of Global Coalition on Aging; Gail Magaliff of FEGS Health & Human Services System; Robert Nadig, MD; Lee Perlman of Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA); Carol Raphael; Jack Watters, MD of Pfizer; Anne Weisberg of Future Work Institute; and Ursula Staudinger of Columbia University.

Award winners will be announced in December and will be honored at a ceremony in January 2014. For more information, visit http://www.nyam.org/age-smart-employer/competition.html

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Age Smart Employer Awards is an initiative of Age-friendly NYC and The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM), funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. These awards honor New York City employers who value workers of all ages. The goal of the Age Smart Employer Awards is to identify and promote innovative strategies employers use in New York City use to create age-smart workplaces.

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) advances the health of people in cities. An independent organization since 1847, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world’s urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to policy leadership, innovative research, evaluation, education, and community engagement. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, NYAM’s current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public’s health; and to eliminate health disparities.

Age-friendly NYC is a public-private partnership between NYAM, the NYC Office of the Mayor, and the New York City Council dedicated to making New York City a great place to grow old by promoting active engagement of older adults in all aspects of city life. Age-friendly NYC’s contributions to the lives of older New Yorkers have attracted widespread attention locally, nationally, and internationally, and the initiative has become a model for similar efforts in other cities. Age-friendly NYC was the first city to be recognized by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Network of Age-friendly Cities, a network of more than 100 cities around the world - See more at: http://www.nyam.org/news/press-releases/2013/2013-05-23.html#sthash.Hgyh2kkv.dpuf

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