Ipswich firm wins top award

BOSSES at an Ipswich firm are celebrating today after it was named best in the country for giving its staff a fair deal - again!

Call Connection, the call transfer agency which is based in Saxon House, Cromwell Square, topped The Sunday Times' list of businesses where staff are happy with pay and benefits for the second year running.

It beat Manchester law firm Pannone and had 89.4 per cent of staff happy with their pay and benefits.

Call Connection also featured in The Sunday Times' Top 100 Companies to Work For list, again for the second year running - achieving 54th place.

Graeme Kalbraier, managing director of Call Connection, said: “It is just a brilliant result to come so high again, and we are the only Suffolk company in the list.

“It is a credit to our managers and supervisors that the staff think so highly of our company as a place to work and I am very proud of our achievements.

More than 800 companies entered the competition this year.

Some of the benefits enjoyed by Call Connection's 350 staff include life and health insurance, free gym membership and free juice and fruit throughout the day.

All employees are also able to claim money towards a wide range of important health treatments and checks from the optician and the dentist,

Call centre manager Lisa Barnard said, “We pride ourselves on appreciating our staff. Saying thank you is the least we can do for a great bunch of people who work so hard.”

Mr Kalbraier added: “We also came in the top 10 nationwide for having fun at work - that is just as important, because happy people are better employees.”

The management team achieved a top 10 place for “saying thank you”.

The survey also recognised Call Connection's charity work - last year the company and its staff donated nearly £100,000 to more than 40 charities, many of which were selected by the employees.

And a staff-giving scheme means that Call Connection will donate more than £25,000 to support Suffolk Child Abuse Sexual Treatment Service this year.

All the money donated through the payroll giving scheme is matched by the company.

Call Connection is also main sponsor of Ipswich charity Disability Care Enterprise, which supports disabled people of all ages, and is a founder supporter of the Evening Star charity, Somebody's Daughter, set up to help vulnerable young women.

The firm will also be a call centre for Sport Relief for the third year running.

More than 150 agents will work free of charge for an evening to take donations over the phone.

Mr Kalbraier said: “It is lovely to work with such a great group of people. I am very lucky to have them all.”

Mr Kalbraier was recently named as a finalist in the nationwide search for Britain's Best Boss.

Should company be honoured for the way it treats its staff? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk