Construction, development and housing company Lindum Group has designed a working environment that clearly fits the spec of its employees. You have to look no further than the payroll for the evidence. One in five workers has been with the firm for more than 10 years and in our employee survey staff could find few snags with it.

Lincoln-based Lindum scores particularly well for offering staff a healthy work-life balance. Stress levels are the lowest of all companies with an 89% positive result, and consequently employees tend not to feel exhausted when they get home (64%), a score bettered by just two other firms in the list. Staff also rank Lindum second (83%) for not being under so much pressure they can’t concentrate.

“It is enjoyable to come to work,” says Shaun Skepper, group accountant. “We work hard and play hard. People are allowed to get on with their work and are trusted to do their jobs properly. There is plenty of scope for personal development and growth. It is a pleasure to work for a successful company like Lindum Group.”

From offering alternative healthcare therapies to flexible working options, Lindum puts employee wellbeing high on its agenda. When it comes to how staff feel about pressure of work and the balance between their work and home duties the company towers above most others, scoring 79% overall on this factor, a result bettered by only three other companies. Employee turnover is low at just 5% and people love working here (79%).

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Founded in 1956 with a small site office and a staff of four, the family-run business now employs more than 500 people in Lincoln, Grimsby, Spalding, Peterborough and London and has a turnover of £80m. It offers a wide range of services including locating land, building design, construction, fitting out, maintaining and even protecting property. Projects range from £50 maintenance jobs to £15m supermarkets.

Lindum believes that what makes it different is its people, so its commitment to them is on solid foundations.

Shares are given free of charge in equal amounts to everyone and 10% of the annual pretax profits is divided up equally between all employees.

Having fun is one of the values of this company and employees do just that, giving the firm an 85% positive score for this question, a top 20 result. People would strongly recommend it as a place to work (85%) and would not leave tomorrow even if they were offered another job (83% — just 10 organisations scored better).

There is also a strong culture of sharing information. Everyone is known by their first name and managers take a hands-on approach. Offices are open-plan and one of the firm’s mottos is that the best argument should always win, so all comments are taken on board, regardless of the level or role of the worker putting them forward.

Staff feel supported by their bosses (82%). They also have faith in the leadership skills of the senior management team (83%) and in David Chambers, the chairman (84%).

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