Working Links has helped more than 76,000 unemployed people find the right job. It was set up in 2000 to deliver a government employment project for disadvantaged communities. Those helped by this initiative include lone parents, disabled people, former offenders and the long-term unemployed. Its own employees know their work helps others. They say the organisation makes a positive difference to the world and understand that their contribution counts towards its success, rating both these points 77% positive, the former securing the firm a top 20 ranking. The London-based company also undertakes charity work. Last year it sponsored the British teams taking part in the annual street soccer tournament, the Homeless World Cup, in South Africa. In 2004, the firm set up the Links Foundation — with any employee able to apply to become a director of the trust — to manage charitable work. Last year, it invested £500,000 in community projects. One involved launching a national campaign to educate parents on feeding children healthily on a budget, and there is even cost-conscious advice on the company website: for last Valentine's day it suggested economical spaghetti with meatballs. With such a raft of initiatives, scores for questions relating to giving something back rank Working Links well above its overall placing in our table. The giving something back factor as a whole scored 61%, placing the firm 51st on this measure. Staff feel fully involved in their work (72%) and think the company makes a positive difference to the world we live in (76%), the latter another top 20 score. They also feel that they can really make a difference (77%). Working Links is good to them, too, with holiday rising from 23 days to 30, boosted maternity benefits, paternity leave paid for two weeks, private healthcare for all and an employee assistance plan. People can work from other locations using laptops, mobile phones and e-mail but, wherever they are, their teams go out of the way to help (77%) and have a strong sense of family (73%).
