HIMALAYAN BALSAM is, as its name indicates, not native to south west England, so staff at Clinton Devon Estates recently joined dozens of their neighbours to pull out the troublesome weed along a 16-mile stretch of riverbank. This is just a part of a new environmental programme at the rural property management firm, which employees feel makes a positive difference to the world (giving a top-four positive score of 89%). The East Budleigh-based firm manages 25,000 acres of Devon land for public access, sports, farming and forestry, and also provides housing for 1,500 people and premises for 100 businesses. Its employees give the family business/trust its best scores for Giving Something Back (83%). The workforce feels that the organisation genuinely cares about the environment (90%) and does a lot to protect it (88%), such as rolling out a “green energy approach”, using wood fuel to heat buildings and installing solar power for its business tenants. Staff can take advantage of the cycle-to-work scheme or even ride to work by horse, thanks to stabling facilities. The estates also care for 3,000 acres of Triassic-period pebblebed heaths, a rare geological formation, running visits for local schoolchildren. Perks such as a brace of pheasants at Christmas and an annual summer party stop work feeling boring (88%). More than half of employees have been there for at least five years and the estates even recognise 50 years of service, with the most recent presentation in 2012. The average age of employees is 47, but innovative ideas are welcome, and staff are offered informal meetings — known as “skip sessions”, to skip layers of management — with the estate director, John Varley. Astonishingly, many people have never had a bad day at work here (52% positive, a top-five score), and a large majority have no plans to leave tomorrow (88%). www.clintondevon.com
