John Lewis and Harrods top employers for pay and benefits

Retailers John Lewis, Harrods and Waitrose have been named the top three employers for compensation and benefits packages, according to a report by employer comparison website Glassdoor.com.

Its inaugural Top 20 UK Companies for Compensation and Benefits report, which is based on reviews and feedback by UK employees, rated employers on a five-point scale: one point for ’very dissatisfied’, three points for ’okay’, and five points for ’very satisfied’. 

John Lewis scored a rating of 4.3, followed by sister organisation Waitrose (4.2) and Harrods (4.1).

Employee feedback cited bonus schemes, store discounts, competitive pay, and learning and entertainment subsidies as highlights of their reward package.

At the lower end of the spectrum, Accenture, Network Rail and Telefonica ranked 18th, 19th and 20th, respectively, each scoring a rating of 3.4.

Joe Wiggins, senior jobs community manager at Glassdoor.com, said: “Interestingly, the top three in this list are all retailers, with John Lewis and Waitrose well known for having a generous bonus scheme.

“Harrods seems to pay well and give good discounts, which employees rate highly. 

“There is a strong link between compensation and benefits and an employer’s overall rating on the Glassdoor website, so it’s clearly one of the more important factors for staff.

“In addition, pay and bonuses obviously feature strongly, but it’s not all about that. Many employees talk about free food or drink and discounts on goods and services as being something they like.”