The company slogan at Vodafone is to “make the most of now” and employees certainly seem determined to enjoy the time they spend at work.

The mobile phone and communications giant has 10,011 members of staff, 60% of whom work in retail stores and call centres. The company is keen to fit in with their lives and many people have shift patterns designed to fit around the school day.

Employees at Berkshire-based Vodafone say they feel part of a force for good. The firm gets its highest ranking of fourth, with a 66% positive score, for making a difference to the world.

People tend to stay here and more than a third of staff have been with the company for at least five years. Holiday goes up with time, too, ranging from 23 to 31 days (including up to five days that they can “buy” in exchange for salary).

Related Internet Links

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• Vodafone's entry in 2007

• Vodafone's entry in 2006

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The pay is not the highest of the best companies, with 60% of employees earning less than £25,000 a year. Nonetheless, people are happy with pay and benefits (a 63% positive score) and staff give the firm 57% for the fair deal they get overall.

Everyone has performance-related pay and a share option scheme, and they are all eligible for childcare vouchers, subsidised gym membership and dental insurance. There is an employee assistance programme as well as life assurance, critical illness cover and the chance to trial products and take company discounts. Everyone has a contributory pension, putting in a typical 3% of salary, with 4.5% from the company.

Maternity leave is 13 weeks at full pay, 26 weeks on half pay and 13 weeks unpaid. Fathers have two weeks fully paid and can take 13 weeks of unpaid leave after the birth.

The firm has schemes to improve teamwork, including local community volunteering (with people from the property team going as far as Kenya last summer to work on a building project with Habitat for Humanity). Staff think the firm puts a lot back into the local community (59%, a top 10 score), giving 1,777 hours last year, and with employees raising more than £2m through sponsored activities and payroll giving.

The company reduced its carbon emissions by almost 45% last year and recycles almost 60% of rubbish. There is a monthly “green” incentive added to salaries if people car share or commute by environmentally friendly means.

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