Since the true test of our success as an employer is in the eyes of our employees, we ask every employee to participate in our Employee Opinion Pulse Survey (EOPS) at least once a year. The information we obtain from the EOPS informs the initiatives we undertake to be an even better place to work.

Before we can do better for others, we must do better for ourselves. We must make sure that we manage our energy and personal resources for the journey ahead. We have lives and responsibilities that go well beyond work, and that's a fact that AARP respects. After all, to change lives, you have to have a life yourself.

That's why AARP is taking a more holistic approach to our people programs to encourage well-being in and away from the office.

AARP offers a broad array of programs, benefits, workshops and other tools for employees to use to maximize their energy and support work/life balance: flexible work arrangements; parental leave for birth and adoptive parents; fitness discounts; access to an onsite fitness center or a credit to offset the cost of fitness activities; and LifeWorks©, our consultation and referral service for employees and their families.

Employees can also help one another through our employee crisis fund and vacation donation program.

Recognition is an important part of AARP's culture. Everyone at AARP is encouraged to recognize colleagues who go the extra mile or inspire you with their achievement.

AARP Recognizes You, our online recognition system, enables every employee to recognize others with "recognition points." The points you issue are delivered by email, accompanied by a recognition certificate with your personal message. Employees can redeem the recognition points they receive and spend them any way they choose.

You can also send e-greeting cards through AARP Recognizes You. Select a card design, type in your message and send it — it's that easy. AARP eCards are a great way to tell someone "Thanks," "Great job" or even "Happy Birthday."

Our employees enjoy a wide range of opportunities for professional growth and development. AARP offers

• In-house and online courses to help staff develop essential career skills
• External workshops and conferences
• Tuition reimbursement
• A distance-learning college-degree program through Empire State College (State University of New York)
• Professional development counseling
• Professional memberships and subscriptions

In addition, AARP is committed to continually finding ways for employees to learn through rich experiences on the job.

Community service was a part of our founder's vision for AARP, and it's still a keystone of AARP today.

AARP encourages all employees to volunteer their time to make a difference in their communities and in our society. We offer two programs to make that easier.

AARP Community Builders provides staff the opportunity to engage in ongoing service work during regular work hours. Eligible full-time employees have 42 hours (21 hours for part-time staff) annually to do service in the community. Beyond the personal benefits of volunteering in the community, the program offers some staff a chance to interact with AARP members and with other older persons and to make a direct contribution to one of AARP's strategic priorities.

Our Day of Service is a way for AARP, its employees, members and volunteers to participate in and to honor community service. On this day, AARP employees have the option of voluntarily engaging, together with AARP volunteers, in community service projects.  The annual Day of Service shows how effective even one day's collective efforts can be for communities across the United States.  It is a chance for all of us to exercise what AARP is all about:  to serve, not to be served.