GROWING BY ALMOST a third in the past year, the Markerstudy Group of Companies now has a workforce of more than 3,000 people dedicated to “putting fun into insurance”. As a result the insurer, which ranked 29th on our list of Best 100 Companies in 2016, has now made a remarkable leap into fourth place among the top 30 Big Companies this year. From its headquarters in Sevenoaks, Kent, and 45 sites around the UK, it offers brands such as Zenith and Supercover, targeting the consumer and small commercial sectors. Despite its phenomenal growth, Wellbeing is the insurer's strongest factor in our survey (an unbeaten score of 66% positive). This reflects the introduction of a healthcare cashback scheme that includes free access to an online GP. Markerstudy also runs a weekly healthy recipes blog and an annual fitness challenge to be the first to reach 2m steps. There is a discount for the on-site physiotherapist and a local personal trainer. There is a competitive edge to staff fitness, too, in the hot contest between 43 teams from around the country for the company football cup. Employees can take five days off a year to volunteer for good causes, and the Motiv8 committee helps raise funds for charity. The group donated nearly £228,000 last year. Tailored learning and development courses help build the belief among employees that they can contribute to the success of the organisation (82%). Staff go out of their way to help each other and have fun together (both 82%). www.markerstudy.com
