Afea, an aged care and disability services provider founded 12 years ago by CEO Esha Oberoi (pictured above), has been judged in the top three of the best workplaces in health services.

“Officially, we received an AFR Boss Best Places to Work award because of our Anniversary Bonus scheme. In this scheme, we award our employees a bonus on each work anniversary so that they feel increasingly valued for their time,” Chatswood, Sydney-based Afea said on its website.

“This is an enormous achievement for Afea. There were over 700 organisations considered and they chose us after doing an assessment, including a staff survey and a written submission.”

“In a year when many workplaces cut staff and saw reduced morale, we soared. Not only did we increase our staff, we added a new office in Parramatta and we found alternative ways to connect and grow.”

The business finished behind winner Johnson & Johnson ANZ and the Arriba Group.

“We think it’s important to learn more about each other and celebrate what makes us all special,” said the company. “Afea is an incredibly diverse workplace, and we like to celebrate that. Whether it’s through Harmony Week or various cultural celebrations, we love finding out how our differences can help us learn more about each other.”

“Everyone who works at Afea already thinks it’s the best place to work.”

Brisbane-based home care service provider Five Good Friends, whose mission is to help people live vibrantly in their own homes, staying connected to their friends and communities, was named the eighth best place to work in health services.

Founded by Nathan Betteridge and Simon Lockyer, Five Good Friends established a people and culture committee to steer the business and, as a result, engagement is 21 points above the health sector average.