Tuesday 26 November 2019 12:01 am | Updated: Tuesday 26 November 2019 8:55 am

You’ll never guess who ended Apple’s reign as the UK’s best employer

Many of the UK’s highest paying companies are located in the City of London.

iPhone titan Apple has been toppled from its top spot on a list of the UK’s top 25 employers.

But it wasn’t another tech giant that took Apple’s crown – that honour, in fact, goes to pest control company Rentokil.

The Camberley-based rat catchers topped recruiter Indeed’s list of the most popular employers in the UK, with workers citing its job security, advancement opportunities and a good work-life balance.

Cupertino-headquartered Apple, which employs around 6,500 people in the UK, was knocked off the top spot despite staff praising the tech giant’s employee perks.

Rentokil chief executive Andy Ransom said: “We focus on getting it right for our people and in turn they provide a great service to our customers.

“We’d be the last to claim that we always get it right but we’re committed to the long term investment in our people and their progression and development.

“Our approach is to ensure that we have a culture in place where everyone can develop their career through industry-leading training and be recognised for doing so.

“In particular, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment for all employees by striving to be an organisation that values everyone’s talents and abilities.”

Care provider The Agincare Group was third on the list, scoring highly for its supportive management team and offering a work-life balance, followed by Wren Kitchens and Lush Cosmetics, according to research by jobs site Indeed.

Retailers featured prominently on the list, with Marks & Spencer, Ikea, John Lewis and Waitrose all making the top 20 private sector employers.

Bill Richards, UK managing director at Indeed, said: “With private sector employers facing stiff competition for the best talent, many companies realise they need to offer more than just an attractive salary. Other factors can be just as important when it comes to wooing good people.

“Reviews posted this year on Indeed’s website by tens of thousands of employees demonstrate just how much value they put on a good work-life balance and a positive work culture – and how likely they are to research and consider these factors before deciding to apply.”

Main image credit: Getty