Imagine your bosses taking you and your colleagues abroad as a thank you for your hard work. Sounds unlikely, but not if you work at Data Connection.

Last year all 286 employees went to Rome. The previous year it was Crete and the year before that Switzerland.

And the rewards don’t end there. There is also private healthcare for all the family, profit-related pay and a non-contributory pension, as well as more unusual benefits including a meal out for employees and their partner if they work exceptionally long hours and ice cream when it gets too hot.

It is not surprising then that staff at the computer company, a world leader in software development, feel happy and confident at work. Data Connection gets an 89% positive score for job security, the highest in our survey.

Turnover of staff is very low at 5% and more than one-third of workers have been on the payroll for at least 10 years.

Data Connection, based in London with offices in Chester and Edinburgh, was set up by its chairman Ian Ferguson and six former IBM colleagues in 1981. Last financial year pre-tax profits from its £38m sales were £9m.

New recruits at the firm receive up to 50 days of their manager’s time in their first year and every employee is involved in all big decisions the company takes, making them feel valued and included.

Very little stress is reported by staff.

The company scores 83% for having employees who feel fully involved at work, with a similar score for saying that colleagues go out of their way to help. Data Connection scores even higher (88%) for workforce confidence in colleagues’ abilities, while the openness and honesty of managers earns an 87% positive score, slightly less (81%) for confidence in the leadership of senior management.

Staff are not expected to work excessive hours and it’s clear they know where to draw the line — the company gets a 73% positive score for home/work life balance. Taken as a package, these scores help the company to our special award for wellbeing.

Data Connection’s generosity continues outside the workplace with 2% of annual profits and hundreds of computers given to charity each year. The company gets the highest score in our survey (81% positive) for putting something back into the local community.

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