Top 100 Companies Leading In Wellbeing 2023｜Business & Finance in partnership with Ibec — Part 1

Business & Finance, in partnership with Ibec, launches Top 100 Companies Leading In Wellbeing Index.

Business & Finance media group in partnership with Ibec, the group that represents Irish business, has launched the Top 100 Companies Leading In Wellbeing Index.

In recent years, employee wellbeing has continued to rise further up the agenda for employers. Public awareness of the importance of good workplace mental health and wellbeing is also growing. To move beyond good intention and to realise a true culture of wellbeing, employers must make positive health and wellbeing a core business priority.

“We are honoured to be working with our partners Ibec to recognise the companies that place employee wellbeing at the top of their priority list. It is imperative for businesses that the wellness of the entire team plays a core part of their business strategy to cultivate a healthy and rewarding working environment which is crucial for business and employee development,” said Ian Hyland, Publisher, Business & Finance.

This index, the first of its kind in Ireland, is timely and significant as it recognises the top businesses of all sizes who are leading the way and have improved their performance in supporting employee mental health and wellbeing. We hope this will encourage others to follow.

Danny McCoy, CEO, Ibec commented on the importance of the Index: 

“It’s important to recognise the efforts being made by businesses in supporting the wellbeing of their people. Environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria is now driving how investors evaluate companies. Mental health and overall wellbeing of employees is increasingly forming part of the measurable foundation of the ‘S’ within ESG.”

“A positive, proactive approach to the promotion of mental and physical wellbeing can lead to benefits for individuals and organisations, including improvements in productivity, employee engagement and reduced levels of absenteeism. We know that improved wellbeing has a far-reaching impact, not only for your employees, but for their families and communities too.”

KeepWell community

The index is comprised exclusively of companies in Ibec’s KeepWell community. The list focuses primarily on those companies who hold an active KeepWell Mark accreditation with exception being made to include a limited few companies, who upon entering the programme had already demonstrated a high standard of wellbeing performance and have put the appropriate measures in place to meet the standards of the KeepWell Mark and are scheduled for formal assessment.

By making the index an annual occurrence, Ibec expects to drive even greater public awareness of the importance of wellbeing in every workplace across the country.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

The full list is available to download here

AirNav Ireland

AirNav Ireland provides air traffic management services including: Air Traffic Control, Aeronautical Information and North Atlantic Communications.

Alcon Laboratories

Alcon is the global leader in eye care, dedicated to helping people see brilliantly. With an over 75-year heritage, we are the largest eye care device company in the world, with complementary businesses in Surgical and Vision Care. B

eing a truly global company, we work in 60 countries and serve patients in more than 140 countries. We have a long history of industry firsts, and each year we commit a substantial amount in Research and Development to meet customer needs and patient demands.

Aldi

With roots dating back to 1913, ALDI is one of the world’s most successful retailers. We currently employ nearly 4,700 people in Ireland across our 156 stores, two Regional Distribution Centres and National Office.

We spent a total of €1.1 billion with our Irish supply base in 2022 and in doing so, added fifteen new Irish food and drink producers to our network. We take great pride in working together with our local suppliers to bring quality, affordable products to our customers.

People who shop in ALDI know that they will never have to choose between quality, healthy food, and price, and we are committed to offering the best value of any supermarket with plans to invest €320 million over the next three years in our store and distribution network.

Alexion

Alexion, the rare disease business unit of AstraZeneca, is a global biopharmaceutical company focused on serving patients and families affected by rare diseases and devastating conditions through the discovery, development and commercialization of life-changing medicines.

As a leader in rare diseases for thirty years, Alexion focuses its research efforts on novel molecules and targets in the complement cascade and its development efforts on hematology, nephrology, neurology, metabolic disorders, cardiology, ophthalmology and acute care. The work we do is guided by people living with rare and devastating diseases.

We are driven to continuously innovate and create meaningful value in all we do to help patients and families fully live their best lives. We know that to become the most rewarding company to work for we need to cultivate an environment in which every team member is encouraged and equipped to perform at their personal best. This is why we continually strive to foster a culture that reflects values that are core to our unique work, and illustrates our daily commitment to people living with rare and devastating diseases, our Guiding Star.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Alexion has offices around the globe and serves patients in more than 50 countries and has a strong presence in Ireland with commercial sites in College Park in Dublin and in Athlone. 

Alkermes

Alkermes is focused on developing innovative medicines that seek to address unmet needs of people living with serious mental illness, addiction and cancer. A fully-integrated, global biopharmaceutical company with locations in the U.S. and Ireland, we are committed to designing medicines that make a meaningful difference in the way people manage their disease.

Arthur Mallon Foods

Arthur Mallon Foods Is the leading producer of sausages in Ireland, creating award winning sausages in County Monaghan since 1940. The company originated from Arthur Mallon’s Butchers shop in Monaghan Town, which was famous for its tasty and creative sausages recipes. We have won over 160 awards both nationally and internationally, which makes us the most awarded sausage maker in Ireland!

ASL Aviation Holdings

ASL Aviation Holdings, a global aviation services company with seven airlines based in Europe, South Africa and Asia, is a world leader in ACMI airline operations and both scheduled and charter cargo and passenger services.
Headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, ASL’s airlines include ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France and ASL Airlines United Kingdom in Europe. ASL also has an associate airline FlySafair in South Africa and joint venture airlines K-Mile Asia in Thailand and Quikjet Airlines in India.

The Group also includes several leasing entities. In April this year, ASL announced the acquisition of Pionair Australia, which has become the 8th airline in the ASL Group and, over time, will be rebranded as ASL Airlines Australia.

ASL Aviation Holdings airlines operate cargo services for the world’s leading express parcel integrators and online retailers. Group airlines also operate scheduled and charter cargo services under its own airline brands on domestic, international, and intercontinental routes in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, North America and Africa.

ASL has a global team of 3,000 people of 51 nationalities. The Group has a fleet of 140 aircraft that includes 9 aircraft types ranging from the turbo-prop ATR 72 to the Boeing 747. ASL’s agreement with Boeing for Boeing 737-800BCF ‘Boeing Converted Freighters’, will see the entry into service of the 16th ASL aircraft in Q2 2023.

Astellas

Astellas is a pharmaceutical company that is committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients worldwide.

Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with openness, integrity and a collaborative approach enables us to improve the health of people around the world.

Astellas Ireland Co., Ltd. has manufacturing plants in Kerry & Dublin which are part of the Astellas pharmaceutical group, a trans-global pharmaceutical company resulting from the merger of Yamanouchi and Fujisawa in April 2005. Our parent, Astellas Pharma Inc., is the second largest pharmaceutical company in Japan.

Avant Money

Avant Money is a leading provider of mortgages, personal loans and credit cards in Ireland. Headquartered in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim, with a second and growing office in Dublin, it employs almost 300 staff.
Avant Money was the first financial services company in Ireland to receive Ibec’s KeepWell Mark in 2018 and became the first company in Ireland to be re-accredited in 2020 and then again in 2022. Avant Money places great importance on the health and wellbeing of its colleagues, most of whom work in a hybrid manner of office and home-working across the country.

Avant Money HR Director, Helen Richardson, said, “It is a testament to our team that Avant Money is going from strength to strength. For me, a programme focused on the wellbeing of staff is vital, and so, being reaccredited by Ibec with the KeepWell Mark last year was warmly welcomed. Wellness is at the core of everything we do at Avant Money and that is why we are pleased to hold ourselves to the highest standards and are thrilled to have our success as a good employer recognised by Ibec.”

BioMarin

BioMarin is a global biopharmaceutical company and world leader in developing and commercialising first or best-in-class therapies for rare genetic diseases

We take pride in going where the science leads us, pioneering breakthrough treatments for debilitating and life-threatening conditions where we can significantly improve upon the current standard of care. Our culture revolves around the ethos that no disease should go untreated, and our people are driven to discover, develop, and commercialise medicines that give patients, their families, and their caregivers hope where there was little or none.

BioMarin employs over 470 people in Ireland with its EMEA headquarters in Dublin and one of the Company’s manufacturing facilities located in Cork. Both locations have active health and wellness programmes which are led by employees and supported by the Company’s leadership team, ensuring employees are encouraged and supported to lead healthy and active lifestyles.

Blackrock Clinic

Blackrock Health, Blackrock Clinic, located in South Dublin is known for its advanced cardiac and orthopaedic care. We offer a range of services in areas such as neurology, oncology, and gastroenterology at our hospital. We also provide state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging facilities and have over 150 consultants who work at Blackrock Clinic and provide access to the latest medical technologies.

Blackrock Health services are committed to providing a supportive and collaborative work environment for our employees, with ongoing opportunities for education and professional development. We offer competitive salaries and benefits packages, as well as a range of flexible work arrangements to ensure a healthy work-life balance. With a focus on quality patient care and outcomes, we offer exciting opportunities for healthcare professionals looking to join our team.

Boliden Tara Mines

Guided by Care, Courage and Responsibility we set out towards our vision to be the most climate friendly and respected metal provider in the world. Our purpose is to provide the metals essential to improve society for generations to come. Our values describe how we work together in our daily operations.

It brings many different competences and skills together and forms our corporate culture towards a common purpose. Our overall goal is to create profitability and growth in a responsible manner with consideration for people, the environment and society. We contribute to sustainable metal production and a reliable supply of metals for society through our strategy of owning our own mines and smelters.

Bon Secours Health System

As Ireland’s largest independent hospital group, Bon Secours Health System is renowned for the quality of its service provision coupled with a rich tradition in healthcare.

Bon Secours Health System is a not for profit organisation with its mission centered on providing compassionate, world class medical treatment to all those it serves. With nearly 4,000 staff, 450 leading consultants, Bon Secours treats in excess of 280,000 patients annually in its 5 modern acute hospitals in Cork Galway, Limerick, Tralee and Dublin as well as a Care Village in Cork. It is the largest provider of private healthcare in Ireland.

Bord Gáis Energy

Bord Gáis Energy is a utility that supplies gas and electricity and boiler services to customers in the Republic of Ireland. Bord Gáis Energy has been in operation in some form since 1976 and supplies over 750,000 customers with energy in Ireland.

Since mid-2014 Bord Gáis Energy is also part of the global Centrica plc Group. Bord Gáis Energy has offices in Dublin and Cork as well as having boiler service technicians nationwide. Bord Gáis translates as “Gas Board”, although is now a private company limited by shares and part of Centrica Global plc which also owns British Gas.

Bord na Móna

Bord na Móna is a climate solutions company. We are an Irish, semi-state climate solutions company helping lead Ireland towards a climate neutral future. Bord na Móna provides employment for approximately 1500 people and manages a land holding of over 80,000 hectares.

We measure our work on this landbank over long-term timescales. Our ambition is to create the right conditions to store carbon and protect biodiversity, while helping to deliver ongoing sustainable energy security for Ireland. Our solutions cover renewable energy, recycling, waste management, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation.

We want to help create a brighter future where Ireland has reached net zero. Bord na Móna has transitioned from a traditional peat harvesting organisation into a climate solutions company routed in renewable power operating with a mix of wind, biogas and biomass facilities. Our solutions cover renewable energy, recycling, waste management, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. 

Boston Scientific

Boston Scientific transforms lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of patients around the world. As a global medical technology leader for 40 years, we advance science for life by providing a broad range of high performance solutions that address unmet patient needs and reduce the cost of healthcare.

Established in Ireland since 1994, today Boston Scientific employs around 6,000 people across three facilities, located in Galway, Clonmel and Cork.   

Breedon Group plc

Breedon Group plc is a leading construction materials group in Great Britain and Ireland. It operates two cement plants and an extensive network of quarries, asphalt plants and ready-mixed concrete plants, together with slate production, concrete and clay products manufacturing, contract surfacing and highway maintenance operations. 

The Group employs approximately 3,500 people and has over 1 billion tonnes of mineral reserves and resources. The Group’s strategy is to continue growing through organic improvement and the acquisition of businesses in the heavyside construction materials market.

Bristol Myers Squibb Cruiserath Biologics

Bristol Myers Squibb is a leading global biopharma company focused on discovering, developing and delivering innovative medicines for patients with serious diseases in areas including oncology, haematology, immunology, cardiovascular and neuroscience.

Our employees work every day to transform patients’ lives through science. Bristol Myers Squibb has been in operation in Ireland since 1964, employing over 650 people across a range of activities and business units.

Located in Dublin, Cruiserath Biologics Campus, the one billion Multi-Product Cell Culture Biologics Manufacturing facility plays a central role in the Global Product Development and Supply (GPS) network as the company’s first European biologics manufacturing facility.  This state of the art facility will produce multiple therapies for the company’s growing biologics portfolio.

Global Biologics Laboratory (GBL) responsible for the release testing of Biologics Drug product for the network, is also based on the Cruiserath Biologics Campus. Cruiserath Biologics has been awarded Biopharma Company of the Year in 2019 and 2020 in the Irish Pharma Industry Awards and is certified as a Great Place to Work consecutively  since 2017, including as a Great Place to Work for Women this year.  

Brown Thomas Arnotts

At Brown Thomas Arnotts, we are immensely proud of our unique heritage, yet never stop evolving with the times. We place tremendous importance on fostering a spirit of innovation and creativity, setting ourselves apart through continuous investment and by driving ideas sourced from all areas of our business. 

Freudenberg Medical

Freudenberg Medical is a medical technology company focused on developing, designing and manufacturing both sophisticated and niche critical components for minimally invasive medical devices used in diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

We were established in 2006 and since then, have grown steadily with regular expansions to our manufacturing facilities. The Freudenberg Medical team have extensive experience in providing precision solutions to the medical device industry.

From prototyping your next program, through to full scale volume production, all processes are carried out in our highly integrated, state of the art facility. In working with Freudenberg Medical, you will receive excellent customer service along with access to innovative solutions, experienced staff and top quality advice which is tailor made to your specific requirements. This is why some of the top medical device companies are counted among our many valued customers.

Carelon

Carelon Global Solutions, formerly Legato Health Technologies, is born out of one of the largest health plans in the U.S., which gives us a strong foundation as well as the agile flexibility of a startup.

We make healthcare operations streamlined and seamless, so our customers can focus on care. The practical solutions and support we provide solve real-world problems that health plans and health systems face each day.

Our exceptional international teams, located in four locations across the world, support our customers’ needs and deliver next-generation platforms, processes, and services specifically for the healthcare industry.

Circle K Ireland

Circle K Ireland, part of the global fuel and convenience store brand Circle K, is the leading forecourt and convenience retailer in Ireland. With over 2,400 employees, its retail network is made up of 420 stores across the island of Ireland. Of these locations, 160 are owned by Circle K, 7 are owned by franchise partners and 243 are owned by independent retail partners.

With an ambition to grow its offering in Ireland, Circle K recently added 10 high street convenience and food stores in Dublin to its network. Circle K also operates a large commercial fuels business, with over 20 depots and two owned terminals across the country. Circle K’s mission is to make customers’ lives a little easier every day by delivering the very best products and quality of service at every one of its locations across Ireland.

To achieve this, Circle K fosters an environment where colleagues can grow personally and professionally, with a focus on the safety and wellbeing of colleagues, training and development, staff engagement and encouraging career progression both locally and internationally within the Circle K network. With 420 service stations and convenience retail locations, Circle K is firmly established across the island of Ireland, providing support to both rural and urban communities.

Circle K makes a difference in every community it operates in, offering employment opportunities, the provision of essential services and social engagement. Circle K is committed to implementing environmentally and economically sustainable practices across its product range and operations.

Coca-Cola Ballina

Coca-Cola Ballina, formerly known as Ballina Beverages, is a manufacturer of beverage base and concentrate and a leading employer in the West of Ireland with a long track record of investment and innovation at the facility. In January 2023, Coca-Cola Ballina was recognised by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s most advanced manufacturers and has been added to the WEF Global Lighthouse Network.  The site was recognised for its use of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics as well as Cloud Computing and Big Data to increase productivity, advance sustainability and build supply chain resilience. 

The company’s purpose is to refresh the world and make a difference.  Building and sustaining a workplace that is diverse, equitable and inclusive is fundamental to achieving that purpose and its woven into all aspects of how they do business and function as a team- including their commitment to wellbeing which is fundamental to the company’s people strategy.  

Coca-Cola Ballina has a comprehensive holistic wellbeing strategy supporting; mental, physical and financial health.  They provide employees with monthly themed events under each of the wellbeing streams and have recently established a Wellbeing Champion Team whose role is to partner with site Leadership and management to ensure that these comprehensive wellbeing supports reach every employees across the site.

Coca-Cola HBC

Coca-Cola HBC is one of the world’s largest bottlers and partner of The Coca-Cola Company. With over 36,000 employees across 29 countries and operating on 3 continents, our mission is to delight the over 715 million consumers in our territories, by offering a choice of over 190 iconic global and favourite local brands in the moments that matter, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our business has a strong heritage on the island of Ireland and has been refreshing local consumers for over 80 years.

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland produces, distributes, markets and sells a wide range of beverages which includes soft drinks, premium spirits and coffee. Our portfolio includes international and local brands such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Schweppes, Monster Energy, Deep RiverRock, Glendalough, Campari, Macallan, Topo Chico, Costa and Fruice.

Compass Group Ireland

Compass Group Ireland are the people behind the most dynamic and rewarding food experiences
in the country, with contract catering solutions built on much more than just food. They are powerful
partnerships, rooted in trust, and delivered by people who care.

Their mission is to make great-tasting food work for Ireland’s greatest businesses, and that’s exactly what they achieve for every client, every day.

Compass Group Ireland achieved the Ibec KeepWell Mark accreditation in October 2022 demonstrating their dedication and commitment to employee health and wellbeing.

Córas Iompair Éireann (CIE)

Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) acts as a Holding Company for the CIÉ Group of Companies which incorporates Irish Rail, Dublin Bus, Bus Eireann and CIÉ Tours. While not involved directly in the provision of services to the public, we employ approximately 170 office-based staff across five Dublin city locations. Since the onset of Covid-19 all staff are working remotely. As well as reporting to Government and liaising with the National Transport Authority (NTA), we provide a wide range of professional services to the wider CIÉ Group. Services include: Legal advice and guidance; Information Technology; Insurance and Risk; Internal Audit; Finance and Reporting and Property Services.

With an average employee age of 48 and a near 50:50 gender balance CIÉ represents a dynamic and forward-looking environment in which to work. Backed up by our policies and procedures we strive to ensure employee wellbeing is a high priority. We are very proud to display our KeepWell Award in our Boardroom at Heuston Station and look forward to continuing our employee wellbeing journey.

Business & Finance Leading in Wellbeing Index 2023 (alphabetical):

View part one (A–C)

View part two (C–I)

View part three (I–R)

View part four (R–X)