Bovis Lend Lease ranked best for parents

Bovis Lend Lease UK has been ranked the best construction company for parents to work for, according to a Guardian newspaper survey on Britain's best employers published yesterday (Monday 30 July 2007).

The firm also ranked in the top six companies across all industries, in a field of 250.

Serco, WS Atkins and Arup were all rated above average within the construction industry.

But Alfred McAlpine, Balfour Beatty and Capita Symonds fared less well, being branded 'poor in sector'.

'Out of the running' were Amec, HBG Construction, Mace, Skanska, Taylor Woodrow, Urban Splash, Foster & Partners and Weir Group because the paper said they had either declined to respond, given insufficient detail on parenting benefits, or failed to respond to requests for further information.

Maternity benefits at Bovis Lend Lease, where 22% of the 2,296-strong workforce are women, include 26 weeks' full pay followed by statutory maternity pay for 13 weeks for those with 26 weeks' service. It also provides a returnee's bonus of three months' salary, repayable in full if an employee leaves the company within a year of resuming work.

Meanwhile fathers receive four weeks' leave on full pay including statutory paternity pay after 26 weeks' service.