As a key participant in the study, the ACTU used data from relevant unions to rate the performance of Australia’s Top 100 financially performing companies against criteria measuring management of employees.

“We found that the best performing companies such as Mitsubishi, Lend Lease and this year’s overall winner Westpac had implemented specific initiatives to assist their employees balance work and life and recognise the diversity of their workforce,” said ACTU President Sharan Burrow.

Westpac recently introduced initiatives including using accrued sick leave for both parents to attend pre-natal appointments and care for young babies, taking the six-weeks paid maternity leave at half pay for 12 weeks, and discount childcare places for staff through salary sacrificing.

On the other hand, companies that performed badly in employee ratings included most banks where excessive profits, branch closures, work intensity and job insecurity that resulted in poor management of employees.

Next year the ACTU plans to refine the index criteria to include more specific measures of successful work/life balance initiatives as well as measuring the performance of companies against the remuneration of chief executives.

More information on the Corporate Reputation Index is available from the Sydney Morning Herald website.