South: EY listed as best accountancy firm to work for
EY has been listed as one of the top ‘25 Best Big Companies To Work For’ in the UK by the Sunday Times.
Announced at an awards ceremony in London last week, the global professional services firm ranked 14th – the highest-placed big four accountancy firm in the UK.
EY also received a 1 Star Accreditation standard, which acknowledges excellence in the workplace, and two special awards for ‘Best Improver’ and ‘Learning and Development’ - citing the firm’s student induction programme.
EY has employed a number of progressive initiatives to support its 13,000 people in the UK. The firm’s flexible working programme was recently rated amongst the UK’s top10 (2014 Working Families bench mark), offering employees greater choice over how, when and where they work.
The firm also became the UK’s first professional services firm to sign up to eight of the pledges in the Department of Health’s ‘Public Health Responsibility Deal’ last year, as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting the health of its employees. Since then 235 people have attended mental health first aid training, acting as one of the first points of contact for staff facing mental health challenges or seeking advice.
Steve Varley, UK chairman and UK&I managing partner, said: “We fly our EY flag with pride today; being recognised as a top employer in the UK is among one of my proudest moments as EY chairman. We have worked hard to embed an inclusive and value-based culture at the heart of our organisation, which is important when recruiting and retaining the best talent.
The Sunday Times Best Companies listing celebrates the best small, mid-size and big workplaces in the UK. It is widely acknowledged as the most searching and extensive research into employee engagement carried out in the UK.
Lists are compiled based on employee opinions on how the company: supports wellbeing in the workplace, gives something back to society, shows strong leadership and teaming, provides opportunities for personal growth, and offers fair pay and benefits.
