Aflac and TSYS on ‘Ethical’ list, with Aflac also among best companies with which to work

Two companies headquartered in Columbus have been recognized for their ethical business practices, with one also among the best companies in the land to earning a living.

Both supplemental health and life insurer Aflac and credit-card and payment processor TSYS were chosen by Ethisphere Institute for its 2016 list of "World’s Most Ethical Companies."

Aflac has made the list every year since its inception in 2007, while this is the fourth time in the last five years that TSYS has taken the honor. There were 131 companies on the list this year.

Criteria include ethics and compliance program, corporate citizenship and responsibility, culture of ethics, governance, and leadership, innovation and reputation.

"This is a testament to the fact that we do business in a way that’s transparent, respectful and fair," TSYS Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Troy Woods said in a statement.

"Research continues to show that consumers and investors have a heightened expectation for companies to behave ethically and responsibly, so we are proud to receive this award from Ethisphere," Aflac Chairman and CEO Dan Amos said in statement.

Aflac, known for its whimsical duck advertising campaign, also has received word that it is on this year’s Fortune magazine list of "100 Best Companies to Work For," appearing at No. 50. This the 18th year for that honor. Interestingly, it was Synovus Financial Corp. — former parent firm of TSYS — which finished at No. 1 on the annual Fortune list in 1999.

This story was originally published March 7, 2016 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Aflac and TSYS on ‘Ethical’ list, with Aflac also among best companies with which to work."