Yorkshire university named one of the top places to work in Britain

The University of Leeds was consistently praised by staff

The list, compiled by the world’s largest job site Indeed, analysed tens of thousands of staff reviews to reveal the top 15 employers that provide the best work/life balance.

Transport for London was ranked the best place to work, followed by the University of Leeds in second place and Apple in third.

Lloyds Banking Group, which owns the Halifax, also made the top 15 UK firms.

Indeed said a good work/ life balance includes good holiday allocation, sympathetic working hours and the ability to leave work at the office. The jobs site said this reinforces recent data from Decipher/FocusVision that revealed that almost 90 per cent of British people do not regard salary as the most important factor in their job.

A spokesperson for Indeed said: "In the ratings and reviews, the University of Leeds was consistently praised by staff – past and present – for providing employees with a strong support network and a good working environment. It also offers in-house courses and training to help staff with career progression, and has new job opportunities each month that allow employees to move around within the organisation.

"Reviews posted on Indeed frequently described the work environment as friendly, supportive and flexible. The University was also praised for having a diverse workforce; with staff from all over the world, employees have the chance to experience different cultures and customs."

A Leeds University spokesperson said: “We are delighted that our employees have rated us so highly and will continue to do what we can to support all of our staff.”

The top 15 companies were (in order): Transport for London, University of Leeds, Apple, Uniliver, Kumon, University of Greenwich, John Lewis, Jobcentre Plus, GlaxoSmithKline, American Express, Thomson Reuters, University of Southampton, Lloyds Banking Group, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.

Lloyds was ranked the thirteenth best company for work for.

A spokesperson for Indeed said: "Lloyds Banking Group, which acquired the Halifax in 2009, scored highly for a number of reasons. According to staff, the company is a diverse place to work, offering a great work environment and flexibility. Many praised their managers for being relatable and understanding that people have commitments and responsibilities outside the workplace.

"Several employees who posted reviews described their managers as being well trained and having good people skills – managing to be both approachable and making staff members feel valued and supported."

Russell Galley, managing director, Halifax, said: “It’s wonderful news that our colleagues have rated us so highly when it comes to work/ life balance.

"Getting this right helps us to improve the return and retention rates of our people and helps ensure we remain a great place to work.

"We know that work/ life balance means different things to different people and we work hard to have a truly inclusive culture to support all colleagues, whether they are juggling life with caring responsibilities, or want to work more flexibly in terms of their hours and location.”

Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: “There is much to be gained both for employers and employees from encouraging a healthy work/life balance so all companies in this list should be applauded for already offering more to their staff than just a salary.

“Millennials in particular are aware that they are likely to have to work for longer than previous generations, so they appreciate the need to enjoy what they are doing as well as where and with whom they are doing it."

He said there was a healthy mixture of employers from a wide variety of industries and both public and private sectors, which demonstrates that offering a good work/life balance is by no means exclusively the domain of trendy tech startups, but is in fact something all smart employers should be doing.

“People remain the most important asset in business, so attracting good staff and allowing them to perform at their best should be deemed a priority, not an afterthought, and ensuring you promote a good work/life balance is central to this,” he added.