Christmas came early last year at Activa Healthcare. Every employee was given an extra month’s pay at the beginning of December. Staff at the company, which supplies compression bandages, hosiery and wound care products to healthcare professionals, say it is their dream job, their positive score of 75% in our survey ranking Activa second for this question.

“This year we’ve had exceptional performance and it is only right that it feeds back to our people,” explains managing director Marc Courtney. “So we announced a 13th month’s salary. We believe in giving back a piece of the prosperity.”

Activa’s 65 employees are among the most content in the country. They love working for the firm, giving a survey-topping score of 95%, and would not leave tomorrow for another job, another excellent result of 94%, and again a score second to none.

Territory manager Mel Davies says: “We can be in exhibitions and people come up and ask if there are any jobs going.”

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Colleagues believe that senior managers truly live the values of the organisation (87%) and have full confidence in their leadership (88%). Courtney inspires his staff (90%). They feel he runs the firm on sound moral principles (94%, ranking Activa second).

“Marc’s not like any other MD,” says Nicki Haynes, customer services and administration assistant, who joined last year. “Nothing is too much trouble for him.”

Haynes went for an interview after being made redundant from her previous position, which she had held for 21 years. “I went home to my husband and said, ‘If I don’t get that job, I don’t want anything else!’”

Two months after joining she was given a pay rise. Staff are happy with their pay and benefits (76%). “If the company’s doing well, so should the staff,” insists Courtney.

This year is Activa’s 10th anniversary, which the directors plan to celebrate by taking every employee and a guest abroad. People are proud to work for Activa and have a great deal of faith in Courtney (both 96%).

They give a top 10 score of 86% in saying that work deadlines aren’t unrealistic, that they don’t feel under too much pressure to perform (86%, a top five result) and say their manager regularly expresses appreciation for a good job (85%).

“I take it as a personal failure if someone leaves us,” say Courtney. He isn’t disappointed too often, with a low staff turnover of 8% and employees saying the job is good for their personal growth (86%).

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