Jonathan Punter and Stuart Southall set up Punter Southall Group 25 years ago with just nine staff, who gave actuarial and investment advice to UK pension schemes. Complementary businesses have been added to create a financial services group employing more than 800 staff in 11 locations. The group, which is majority employee-owned, has plans for further growth — but bosses insist the 802 staff will not be run into the ground to maximise chargeable hours and profit. Free private healthcare and subsidised sports facilities are among perks on offer to all staff, who work between 36 hours a week for team members and 40 for senior managers. Employees are happy with the balance between their work and home life (67% positive) and do not feel they spend too much time working (59%). Everybody can use the health-and-wellbeing programme, earning points for discounts on spa breaks and cinema passes. Most flexible- working requests made by individuals are granted and staff receive between 22 and 35 days paid holiday each year. A 49% result shows that employees do not feel exhausted when they get home from work. Maternity pay ranges from six weeks on full pay for team members and supervisors to 13 weeks for senior managers, followed by 33 and 26 weeks respectively at the statutory rate. Men receive two weeks' paternity leave on full pay. Nearly a third (30%) of staff are on £55,000 a year and actuarial advisers earn about £74,000. Pay rises are awarded following exam passes and 98% of employees had an increase in the past year. They are content with the pay and benefits they receive (62%, although this ranks 61st) and would not necessarily leave tomorrow if another job opportunity came up (76%). Managers listen to workers' needs and concerns and contact the human resources department for guidance when necessary. The company, based in the Strand, London, paid taxi fares for a member of staff who was on crutches. Regular team meetings provide the chance for workloads to be discussed and more evenly distributed among people, and staff say managers do not take advantage of them (74%). Fundraising activities have seen employees running marathons, climbing mountains and growing moustaches, and one team took children from disadvantaged backgrounds to London Zoo to support a charity close to the heart of a colleague who died. Punter Southall's support of worthy causes is not motivated by a desire for good publicity (62%).