PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach has been recognized as a Certified Age-Friendly Employer (CAFE) by the Age-Friendly Institute. This distinction recognizes the City for its commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive work environment for people ages 50 and older.

“Here in the City of Long Beach, we are committed to enhancing the lives of our workforce and fostering a workplace where experience and maturity are valued and celebrated,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “By promoting an age-friendly work environment, we not only attract the best talent, but also strengthen our culture of diversity, inclusivity and respect.”

As a CAFE, the City maintains policies, practices and programs that support people of all ages; commits to meaningful employment, development opportunities and competitive pay; and places value in the experience and wisdom gained over time that employees over 50 bring, recognizing that knowledge, maturity, reliability and productivity are valuable qualities found throughout its diverse workforce. With this certification, the City has also distinguished itself through a set of core values that prioritize employees based on proficiency, qualifications and contributions.

“We are honored to receive the Certified Age-Friendly Employer distinction from the Age-Friendly Institute,” said City Manager Tom Modica. “This recognition underscores our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace that values the experience and contributions of employees ages 50 and older. By fostering a diverse and supportive work environment, we continue to strengthen our workforce and better serve the Long Beach community.”

In addition to its commitment to its equity, respect and inclusion recruitment practices, the City offers many age-friendly employee benefits, including active fitness and wellness programs to promote age-appropriate employee wellness and lifestyle; retirement benefits and resources such as low-cost healthcare coverage and life and disability benefits; and an Employee Assistant Program that provides mental health services and eldercare assistance support for family caregivers. To receive this certification, the City underwent a comprehensive application and interview process with the Age-Friendly Institute to evaluate key aspects such as recruitment and employment policies, practices and programs. The evaluation covered 12 categories of recognized best practices for age-friendly employers.

The City employs over 6,100 full and part-time personnel in 23 departments and offices. The City’s Human Resources Department has made significant strides in modernizing and centralizing its processes by streamlining workflows and enhancing service delivery across the organization. These reform efforts have transformed how the Department supports the City’s workforce by creating a more efficient and effective operational framework.

“Being recognized as a Certified Age-Friendly Employer is a great achievement and testament to the City’s unwavering dedication to fostering a culture of belonging for our entire workforce,” said Director of Human Resources Bryce M. Tyler. “The Human Resources Department is committed to continuing our progress in seeking efficiency and modernizing our service delivery for the City to be known as a premier destination to work, while also championing the City’s culture of diversity and inclusion as it recruits the best talent to serve our great community.”

The Age-Friendly Institute's non-profit-generating CAFE program is the world's leading certification program that identifies organizations committed to being the best places to work for employees ages 50+. Since the CAFE program was created in 2006, hundreds of leading companies and organizations from around the world have earned the distinction of being recognized as a Certified Age Friendly Employer.

For more information about this certification, visit the Department of Human Resources CAFE webpage. For more information about the Department, including benefits and other resources, visit longbeach.gov/hr.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.