THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL pupils and college students benefit each year from help with their science education courtesy of pharmaceutical firm Napp. Last year, the Cambridge-based company's 30 "science ambassadors" were involved in 50 events involving nearly 5,700 young people. The initiative, which includes a science week, career fairs and industry visits, has been running for six years and is part of the reason staff give the organisation a positive score of 70% for Giving Something Back, the 17th highest. Employees say the firm makes a positive difference to the world (82% and the 10th best score) and that they are proud to work there (83%). Napp, which makes and markets a range of ethical pharmaceutical products and was fifth in our list last year, focuses on environmental issues through a dedicated area on its intranet site and an internal newsletter. The company's efforts to become more sustainable include a pool of bicycles for staff, the installation of low-energy light bulbs and recycling. Napp's staff give a score of 71% when asked if they believe their organisation does enough to protect the environment. The online message board Ask Napp allows employees to put their questions and have discussions, while its Ask Antony counterpart enables dialogue between staff and the managing director Antony Mattessich. Napp's workforce of 817 give favourable overall ratings when asked about their Wellbeing (72%) and if they receive a Fair Deal (66%), both beaten by only 13 other companies. Staff get between 25 and 39 days of holiday, earning additional time off for longer service and paid leave when they move house or get married. Workers say they are happy with their pay and benefits (72% and the 10th best score) and are not under too much pressure to perform well (76%, the ninth best score). Most employees have not complained about stress-related symptoms due to work in the past 12 months (80%) and they give the 14th best rating of 56% when asked if they feel exhausted when they come home from work. Deadlines are realistic (76% and the seventh best score), staff do not feel they are spending too much time working (64%) and they would not necessarily leave tomorrow if they were offered another job (78%). Managers take an interest in their employees' wellbeing (78%) and ensure they listen to their staff (76%). napp.co.uk
