The best UK companies for women to work for in 2022

The best workplaces for women in the UK have been revealed for 2022.

The list, compiled by workplace culture organisation Great Place to Work, evaluated hundreds of employee surveys to draw up the rankings.

The results are based on what women have anonymously reported about their workplace experience - and how well represented they are in the workforce and management.

Great Place to Work said the top businesses for women offered equality, representation and fairness - and had shone a spotlight on menopause support and the promotion of shared parental leave. A total of 95% of women in the top five best workplaces for women say they are treated fairly regardless of their gender.

The pay gap is still the single biggest issue when it comes to gender equality, with women in the UK paid just 90p for every £1 earned by a man according to latest figures. While there is an overall decline in the pay gap (27,5% in 1997 to 15.4% in 2021), it rose slightly in the last year (0.5% up from 14.9% in 2020).

"The best workplaces for women have made it a priority to strive for gender equality, which is reflected in the practices they implement and in what their female employees say," a spokesperson for Great Place to Work said.

The annual guide recognises the best small, medium, large and super-large businesses for women in the country. The top super-large organisation for 2022 was building society Principality; the best large business was tech firm Realise; SEO and content marketing agency Evolved Search took the top spot on the medium list; and talent management agency M&C Saatchi Merlin was named the best small firm.

"It’s wonderful to celebrate so many best workplaces for women this year, across all sectors and organisational sizes," said Great Place to Work managing director Benedict Gautrey.

Here, we take a look at the top 10 best companies to work for in each category.