THE ODDS OF being happy in your job are stacked in your favour if you are an employee at Orbis Technology, which provides software for gaming and betting websites. Staff benefit from performance-related pay, a share option scheme, free private healthcare, subsidised gym membership, dental insurance, life assurance, loans, an employee assistance programme and discounted services, while new starters can expect to earn about £26,000. Employees are pleased with their benefits, putting the firm in sixth place nationally for its overall Fair Deal score. They feel fairly paid for the work they do relative to people in similar organisation (68% positive), agree their pay reflects their responsibilities (69%) and are happy with it and their benefits (72%). Chief executive David Loveday says: "Other companies are constantly trying to poach our staff, so we provide a challenging attitude and give them a lot of latitude as regards flexible working." Scores show that most days employees don't feel exhausted when they come home from work (58% positive, ranking ninth), that they are happy with the balance between their work and home life (72%), haven't suffered from stress-related symptoms in the past 12 months (78%), and that pressure at work does not affect people's performance (80%). To ensure social cohesion, everyone at Orbis is encouraged to live near the firm's base in Chiswick, London, and is given £20 a month for social activities. Paolo Tagliaferri joined the company a year ago, after arriving from Italy. "It is really difficult when you move and change everything, but you get a lot of support," he says. "It's all about teamwork and co-ordination here, and when I finish work I enjoy spending time with my colleagues." Employees feel that their team-mates care about each other and go out of their way to help one another, both 79% positive scores, and say that colleagues are fun to work with (82%). Richard Mortimer, vice-president of human resources, says: "All the managers joined the firm as graduate software developers, so they know what new starters like, what they don't like, what works for them, and it's that knowledge that makes the relationship work." Managers listen, according to employees, who give them a 75% positive score. They also find them supportive (76%) and feel that they talk openly and honestly to staff (77%). www.orbisuk.com
