When you imagine your dream job, what do you see?
Most likely, you're not just envisaging a prestigious job title or a high salary, there are other factors that are pretty important too: like being based somewhere you're excited to work at each day, somewhere that also allows you some free time away from work.
Is it important to you to work somewhere where you'll have time to switch off from your work responsibilities, pursue outside interests, and take a break from your desk regularly?
If so, it's worth looking into which employers help their employees achieve a great work-life balance.
Careers site, Glassdoor, has released their annual ranking of the best places to work in the UK for work-life balance. The top 20 were calculated using anonymous employee reviews of each company, and only companies with 50 or more reviews on the site were considered.
David Whitby, UK Country Manager at Glassdoor commented on the findings:
"Companies are realising that you can get more out of your workforce if you create an environment where people feel it is ok to take time out and be flexible with the working week.
"It's not about leaving the office early, it's about integrating work and lifestyle. At the end of the day, employers that trust their staff to do their job to the best of their ability, and recognise that everyone has commitments and interests outside the office, will create more loyalty."
These companies had the highest Work-Life Balance Ratings in the UK:
1. Expedia
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.3
Positive employee review: "Work environment and flexibility is exceedingly good. Team dynamic is also a positive. Much empowerment allowed. Great company to work for."
2. Lookers
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.2
Positive employee review: "Forward thinking company with great values that looks after its employees and customers"
3. American Express
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.2
Positive employee review: "Great people at the contributor level. Better than you can ask for work environment and good work life balance."
4. HomeServe
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.2
Positive employee review: "Great place to be, the people do come first and lots of support."
5. Peninsula
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Positive employee review: "Supportive management, role variety, great incentives, flexible working conditions - which have improved greatly over the past couple of years. Hard work is rewarded and there are opportunities to progress if you show commitment and loyalty."
6. Cisco Systems
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Positive employee review: "Good work life balance, a lot of opportunities for learning"
7. ARM
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Positive employee review: "Nice place to work, Flexible work environment, Good compensation"
8. Financial Conduct Authority
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Positive employee review: "This is a really good place to work with lots of opportunities to develop your learning. Great benefits, good training opportunities, good work life balance."
9. Royal London
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.1
Positive employee review: "Great for work/life balance, facilities in the workplace are good. Varied opportunities for those who wish to take them up"
10. Thomson Reuters
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Work life balance is the BEST I've ever experienced. This company is very understanding that life happens out side of work, too. In fact, they encourage you to take time off and NEVER question when you do..."
11. Procter & Gamble
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Great company with strong culture and values for equality and work life balance."
12. Screwfix
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "The work life balance is great. People are fantastic and teams are really strong. There are lots of opportunities to progress, depending on your role, and hours are flexible."
13. TeacherActive
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "The staff are all really friendly and take the time to get to know you, plenty of work in lots of different schools and regular work in the same school."
14. Mott MacDonald
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Great stable company with an excellent reputation and market position. Great people to work with and working environment."
15. Rank Group
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "This company knows about work/life balance and encourages fun and games in the workplace and socials out of hours. In the head office excellent staff support, communication and incentives."
16. Yell
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Really good company to work for and really flexible working hours"
17. Unilever
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Great work life balance, ability to work remotely, get to work on some of the industry's biggest brands, great access to resources"
18. BAE Systems UK
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "good flexible working, free shares, friendly environment."
19. Rolls Royce
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Work Life Balance is great, its really a great place to work"
20. Google
Work-Life Balance Rating: 4.0
Positive employee review: "Good environment and great peers. Good work-life balance."
Shared image of Google offices credit: Marcin Wichary / Flickr