EMPLOYEES have come up trumps once again for Huntingdon-based social landlord the Luminus Group. The company is one of just 55 employers across the country rated extraordinary in its first entry to The Sunday Times-backed Best Companies 2009 accreditati

EMPLOYEES have come up trumps once again for Huntingdon-based social landlord the Luminus Group.

The company is one of just 55 employers across the country rated "extraordinary" in its first entry to The Sunday Times-backed Best Companies 2009 accreditation, achieving the maximum three stars.

The success comes fresh on the heels of a competition in 2008, also run for The Sunday Times, when Luminus was voted 16th best company in Britain to work for - the second successive year that it was in the top 100.

Best Companies accreditation uses an independent survey of employees and a star rating system. One star is first class, two stars are outstanding and three stars denote extraordinary, the organisers said.

Luminus said the survey had been developed to help employers better understand today's complex and changing workplace issues and what they mean for their business, focusing on what employees say about the head of the organisation, senior managers, and the company's values and principles, their own manager, training and prospects, work-life balance, how well they work with colleagues, whether the organisation has a positive impact on society, how involved they feel about their job and organisation, and how happy they are with their pay and benefits.

"The key message emerging from the wide-ranging national survey of employees is described by Best Companies as 'faith in the leader'," a spokesman added.

"Survey results showed more clearly than ever before that companies with the highest morale, the lowest absenteeism, where people really felt proud to work, and the lowest stress levels, were where they felt they trusted their leader and that that person was engaged with them.

"The results also showed that employees then needed to have faith in the senior management team - the other senior people who helped run the organisation."

That leader, chief executive Chan Abraham, pictured with Jonathan Austin, founder and CEO of Best Companies who presented the award, said: "We believe in our people and are 100 per cent committed to them. This independent survey shows that the vast majority of our employees feel the same way about us.

"I strongly believe that this high level of trust and confidence is one of the reasons for Luminus Group's continued success and excellent performance. Luminus will continue to invest in our people and our communities, to encourage others to be confident about the future and to create a sense of hope in these difficult times.