Staff at Medtronic, which sells therapies, medical devices and services to help 6m people with chronic disease, feel they can make the world a happier place. The company, a subsidiary of the main US operation, employs 326 people in Watford and in Swords, outside Dublin. It gets the third-highest score for making a difference to the world we live in, with an 84% positive result.

Staff feel they can make a difference in the firm (77%), contribute to its success (81%) and feel proud to be working here (85%). The jobs are stimulating (78%), if sometimes stressful.

In 1957 Medtronic developed the world’s first “wearable” external cardiac pacemaker less than a decade after the firm was founded. Now it deals with heart-pacing technology and everything from bladder control problems to sudden fainting. Its employees mainly sell to professional medical staff with just one part of the business, dealing with diabetes, having direct contact with the public.

Not surprisingly, the health of staff is a priority and the firm offers private healthcare to everyone through PruHealth, which offers “rewards” such as discounted weekends at Champneys Health Resorts and gym memberships. People can earn points by wearing pedometers, and they compare their rates if feeling competitive, says Paul Brien, human resources manager. He points out: “We are a healthcare company, so if we aren’t promoting our employees’ health, we are doing something wrong.” Medtronic also operates an online occupational health support service.

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Staff have 25 to 27 days’ holiday a year and both maternity and paternity leave is boosted. There are also career breaks and sabbaticals. Everyone has performance-related pay and share options (although only a fifth take up the latter). A contributory pension takes 5% of salary from staff and adds an average 13.9% from the firm.

Employees all have individual development plans and the company develops its own leaders.

A Medtronic community action team organises events for good causes and the company supports charities such as Diabetes UK. It also promotes environmentally friendly policies.

Geoff Morris has been regional vice-president for the UK and Ireland for the past 11 years, and staff say he runs the firm on sound moral values (81%). One of these is to create a framework that lets people have “personal satisfaction in work accomplished, security, advancement opportunity, and means to share in the company’s success”.

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