A housing association which provides shelter and community services for vulnerable people has come tenth in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For list.

For the second year running Southdown Housing Association was the only Sussex company featured in the list.

The company, based in Lewes, prides itself on ensuring staff have a happy work-life balance with ample opportunity for training and learning skills on-the-job.

According to the Sunday Times' ranking system Southdown, which has an annual turnover of £11.6 million, was number one company in the country in terms of the "moral principles" on which it is run.

The company's 450 staff are given time off for moving house and can take advantage of a free 24-hour support line offering counselling and debt and consumer advice.

Free IVF treatment is also offered by the company.

Southdown has regional offices in Brighton, Horsham, Worthing and Polegate, which provide support for people with learning disabilities and mental health issues.

Aideen Jones has worked at the company for 16 years, the last four as chief executive.

Staff retention is good. One in four employees has been at Southdown between five and ten years.

Ms Jones said: "The results highlight the sound basis on which the organisation is built and also show that, while our staff enjoy good working conditions, one of their biggest rewards comes in seeing the difference their support makes to tenants."

The survey found the happiest places to work were those where two-thirds of the senior managers were women.

Although when the entire senior management was female, scores fell.

But employees' working hours increased last year, compared with 2004, with 33 per cent of those questioned working 35-40 hours a week, while 36 per cent put in between 40 and 50 hours.

Overtime also went up with 38 per cent of employees putting in up to ten hours extra each week.

More than 86,500 staff from 522 businesses took part in the survey and rated their employers in a range of categories.

Scotland's Gore Tex manufacturers W L Gore and Associates, which employs 425 people, held on to the Best Company to Work For crown for the third year running.

American Express Services Europe, whose European centre is in Edward Street, Brighton, came eighth in the Sunday Times 20 Best Big Companies to Work For list.

Almost 30 per cent of staff at the company, which employs 6,422, earn more than £35,000. It scored highest for managers sharing important information with staff.

Tuesday, March 7, 2006