French workers are generally well protected by the country’s labour laws and are entitled to benefits like five weeks of paid holidays, restaurant vouchers and a 35-hour work week (for some).

But an annual study into the ‘best’ companies to work for takes into account somewhat less tangible strengths like trust in management, pride in work and atmosphere.

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The annual ranking, carried out by the Great Place to Work Institute, saw the companies put head to head in a survey that measured subjects as diverse as employee pride and their trust in management.  

In order to qualify for the awards, a company must obtain 65 percent positive responses in a questionnaire filled out by employees.

Patrick Dumoulin, president of the Great Place to Work organisation said: “In 2022, three quarters of the companies on the list are French and a quarter are subsidiaries of foreign companies. 

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“Twenty years ago, it was the opposite, in particular because the subsidiaries of American groups labelled Best Workplaces in the United States encouraged them to do the same in France. 

“This shows that French companies have gradually become aware of the importance of the employee experience and have placed it at the heart of their strategy.”

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Here are the winners;

• IT service management company Wavestone was named the best company to work for in France in the 2022 Great Place To Work Awards.
• It came top in the over 2,500 employees category in the survey of 338 French businesses large and small, followed by sports store Decathlon.
• Another digital services company, Groupe SII came in third in the 20th annual awards, ahead of DHL Express, Accenture Conseil, Kiabi, Cultura and Koesio.
• For companies with between 1,000 and 2,499 employees, Salesforce topped the list, followed by Extia and Talan, the children’s fashion house Flashy, financial services company Cofidis, then Hilti, SNCF Connect, Sushi Shop, Recrea, and CDiscount.