The Sunday Times on Friday (10 May) revealed its 2024 Best Places to Work list, with Tui ranking seventh in the Very Big Organisation category (2,000-plus employees).
The airline and operator drew praise for allowing employees to work from another country for up to 30 days a year, as well as for its daily meeting-free hour policy, its focus on wellbeing and its seasonal shopping days.
It also received a high commendation in the Best Places to Work for employee wellbeing category.
"We always strive to make Tui a great place to work for our colleagues – whether that’s crew working for our airline, retail staff manning our stores on the high street, or customer service colleagues working to give our customers the best holidays possible," said Tui UK and Ireland managing director Andrew Flintham.
In the Big Organisation category (250 to 1,999 employees), easyJet holidays ranked seventh, with the judges praising the tour operator’s peer-to-peer “thank you” scheme and monthly recognition award, as well as its “permission to pause” policy, which allows staff to step away from work for two hours for wellbeing reasons.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been named The Sunday Times Best Place to Work for the second year running as one of the top ten most loved big companies in the UK, recognised by our own people as a company that fosters an engaged and inclusive workplace,” said easyJet holidays chief executive Garry Wilson.
“I couldn’t be prouder that our talented people continue to love working here and have been given recognition for the fantastic culture they’ve created and live by day in, day out."
Several more travel businesses featured in the Big Organisation category. These include Travel Counsellors, which was hailed for giving its 322 employees free lunches twice a week, access to a cycle-to-work scheme, and enhanced maternity and paternity leave among other benefits.
Travel Counsellors exceeded an 80% satisfaction rate, with 87% of employees saying they felt proud to work for the company, while more than 80% said they felt the company cared for their wellbeing.
"Our business model is underpinned by a special company culture that places people and their wellbeing at the heart," said chief executive Steve Byrne.
”Showing care for our customers and our community and nurturing a strong sense of belonging fosters an environment where people are supported, encouraged and motivated to be the very best they can be.”
’True recognition of excellence’
Also making the list were holidaycottages.co.uk parent The Travel Chapter, online travel agent Loveholidays and Visit Britain/Visit England.
The annual ranking was compiled using questions and methodology from employee-experience platform WorkL to monitor employee satisfaction levels.
Questions touched on six themes – reward and recognition, instilling pride, information sharing, empowerment, wellbeing and job satisfaction – with overall high engagement scores reliant on businesses faring well in all six areas.
"The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards recognise companies that are innovating to create an engaged and fulfilling working environment for all and in so doing they are creating the best possible platform for business success," said The Times and Sunday Times executive vice-president publisher Chris Longcroft.
"To be named on The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list is a true recognition of excellence and I congratulate those organisations who made the grade this year.”
