Four prominent businesses from across the North of England and Scotland have been named in the prestigious Sunday Times Best Places to Work 2026 list, highlighting strong workplace cultures outside the South of England.

The nationwide survey, developed in partnership with employee experience platform WorkL, analyses anonymous feedback from thousands of workers across various employment sectors. It assesses companies based on six key drivers of workplace satisfaction: reward and recognition, information sharing, empowerment, pride, job satisfaction, and wellbeing.

Legal and financial heavyweights lead the big categories

Leeds-headquartered law firm Ison Harrison secured a top ten position in the "Best Big Places to Work" category, which evaluates businesses employing between 250 and 1,999 people. The firm stands as one of only three companies from the North of England to make the top ten in this category.

The recognition follows Ison Harrison's transition to a 100 per cent employee-owned business structure in 2022. Operating 25 offices across Yorkshire with 455 staff, the firm projects its annual turnover to exceed £38 million by the end of 2026.

Jonathan Wearing, managing director at Ison Harrison, said: "To be ranked by The Sunday Times as one of the top ten best big places to work in the UK is an incredibly proud moment for everyone at the firm. This achievement is a direct reflection of how our employee ownership model has fundamentally transformed Ison Harrison as a workplace.

“By shifting the ownership of the business to our people, we have created an environment that offers team members an annual profit share bonus alongside meaningful career progression and genuine job satisfaction. Our structure ensures that every individual is personally invested in our collective journey, fostering a culture where staff feel valued, motivated, and empowered to succeed. This accolade proves that putting our people first goes hand-in-hand with running a highly successful, growing legal practice."

Also featured on the "Best Big Places to Work" list for the second consecutive year is Armstrong Watson. The accounting, business, and financial advisory firm employs more than 800 people across its network of offices spanning the North of England and Scotland.

Paul Dickson, Armstrong Watson’s Chief Executive and Managing Partner, said: “We are incredibly proud to be recognised for a second year as one of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work. Achievements like this are particularly meaningful because they reflect the views and experiences of our people.

“Our ambition remains to be the best accounting and financial advisory firm to deal with in the UK, delivering an outstanding client experience. We know that this can only be achieved by creating an environment where our people feel valued, supported and able to thrive."

Medium and small regional businesses excel

In the medium-sized business category (49 to 250 employees), full-service environmental consultancy Enzygo secured a placement. Headquartered in Stocksbridge, near Sheffield, the firm operates out of seven regional hubs across the UK, including Manchester, Cambridge, and Cardiff.

Enzygo achieved an overall score of 87 per cent for employee happiness in the survey. Matt Travis, Managing Director at Enzygo, said: “From the outset, we have wanted to build a culture and working environment where staff feel valued, empowered and inspired. We all spend a great deal of lives at work and being named as one of the places to work in the UK reflects the positive culture we have worked hard to build.

“In recent years we’ve enjoyed a significant period of growth, something which wouldn’t be possible without the efforts of every single member of staff."

Malton-based ALA Insurance was honoured in the Small Organisation category for the second year running. The family-owned GAP insurance provider, founded in 2005, scored "Excellent" across all survey metrics.

Simon England, founder and Managing Director of ALA, said: “I couldn’t be happier to be honoured by The Sunday Times for the second year in a row. Since Debra and I founded ALA, a positive and caring staff and customer culture has been a key foundation to the business.

“Insurance can be an overwhelming and confusing industry. But we’ve remained focused on honesty, integrity and clarity, making our staff and customers feel valued.”

A benchmark for commercial performance

The Sunday Times survey featured 567 organisations in total this year. Editorial representatives noted that high scores across the board indicate a growing corporate focus on workforce satisfaction as an economic driver.

Zoe Thomas, editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, said: “In an evolving world of work, Britain’s leading employers are helping staff forge careers that count today – and in the future. In turn, the Best Places to Work have the resilience to weather the current economic storms baked in, thanks to engaged workers who go above and beyond with a smile."

Lord Mark Price, founder of WorkL, added: “I am delighted that more companies than ever entered this year's Best Places to Work awards and more have been given winner’s medals. The scores are higher than last year showing a greater focus being put on how employees feel. All our research at WorkL clearly shows that happier workforces drive better commercial performance.”