(FORTUNE Magazine) – How We Pick the 100 Best

To select this year's list we surveyed a random sample of employees from 269 candidate companies--more than 1,000 firms were considered--to get their opinions about their workplaces. A total of 40,713 employees responded to the survey (the Great Place to Work Trust Index, an instrument created by the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco). Nearly half gave us additional written comments. We also asked each of the companies to fill out a questionnaire describing its HR policies and workplace culture. In scoring the responses, we placed the greatest weight on the employee responses (two-thirds of the total), with the remainder being our evaluation of the company's benefits and practices. If you think your company should be on the list, send a brief explanation about why to us at 100best@greatplacetowork.com. -- ROBERT LEVERING AND MILTON MOSKOWITZ

NOTES N.A. Not available. U.S. employees: Includes part-timers, as of time of survey. Job growth, new jobs, and voluntary turnover: Full-time only. Entry-level salary: Yearly pay rate for the largest classification of professional or technical employees and production or service employees. Data from summer 2002. 2001 revenues: Or latest fiscal year. For more information on these companies, see www.fortune.com/bestcompanies.

Rank (2001 rank) Job Company U.S. employees growth Applicants Headquarters (U.S. sites) % Minorities New jobs Voluntary Website % Women (1 year) turnover

1 (1) Edward Jones 25,278 12% 191,349 St. Louis (7,786) 6% 2,039 16% www.edwardjones.com 63%

2 (2) Container Store 1,741 10% 19,283 Dallas (29) 24% 59 8% www.containerstore.com 63%

3 (9) Alston & Bird 1,347 2% 12,000 Atlanta (6) 22% 30 6% www.alston.com 58%

4 (6) Xilinx 2,029 -5% 586 San Jose (23) 43% -107 4% www.xilinx.com 31%

5 (27) Adobe Systems 2,460 -1% 32,551 San Jose (18) 28% -26 4% www.adobe.com 39%

6 (64) Amer. Cast Iron Pipe 2,483 5% 422 Birmingham, Ala. (18) 29% 113 2% www.acipco.com 11%

7 (4) TDIndustries 1,463 6% 2,575 Dallas (8) 35% 88 16% www.tdindustries.com 9%

8 (24) J.M. Smucker 2,500 24% 6,500 Orrville, Ohio (14) 27% 450 4% www.smuckers.com 50%

9 (5) Synovus 10,947 1% 7,333 Columbus, Ga. (451) 25% 147 11% www.synovus.com 65%

10 (68) Wegmans 27,769 3% 91,000 Rochester, N.Y. (95) 12% 288 6% www.wegmans.com 54%

11 (7) Plante & Moran 1,181 -6% 5,000 Southfield, Mich. (15) 5% -68 12% www.plantemoran.com 56%

12 (39) Pella 6,945 1% 27,990 Pella, Iowa (32) 5% 64 10% www.pella.com 34%

13 (13) CDW 2,828 2% 38,308 Vernon Hills, Ill. (7) 26% 45 19% www.cdw.com 30%

14 (20) J.M. Family Enterprises 3,254 0% 22,608 Deerfield Beach, Fla. (5) 22% 9 15% www.jmfamily.com 48%

15 (10) Baptist Health Care 4,011 5% 11,668 Pensacola, Fla. (10) 28% 170 12% www.ebaptisthealthcare.org 79%

16 (25) Vision Service Plan 2,223 -1% 36,000 Rancho Cordova, Calif. (26) 30% -21 9% www.vsp.com 72%

17 Republic Bancorp 1,346 -2% 14,427 Owosso, Mich. (106) 13% -25 10% www.republicbancorp.com 74%

18 (8) Qualcomm 5,840 -3% 93,455 San Diego (32) 40% -194 6% www.qualcomm.com 29%

19 (3) SAS Institute 4,638 9% 45,431 Cary, N.C. (45) 13% 354 4% www.sas.com 49%

20 (28) Microsoft 34,728 4% 360,000 Redmond, Wash. (41) 24% 1,312 4% www.microsoft.com 26%

21 (57) Pfizer 31,978 6% 102,000 New York (45) 21% 1,646 5% www.pfizer.com 49%

22 (26) MBNA 23,193 2% 100,228 Wilmington, Del. (29) 25% 464 10% www.mbna.com 57%

23 (36) Third Federal S&L 1,030 3% 3,912 Cleveland (52) 20% 27 9% www.thirdfederal.com 80%

24 (15) Cisco Systems 25,528 -7% 67,194 San Jose (162) 11% -1,757 3% www.cisco.com 25%

25 (30) Duncan Aviation 1,879 -1% 5,104 Lincoln, Neb. (40) 4% -24 6% www.duncanaviation.com 12%

26 Sterling Bank 1,212 11% 369 Houston (42) 40% 110 12% www.banksterling.com 63%

27 (34) W.L. Gore 3,952 -3% 22,724 Newark, Del. (36) 16% -105 6% www.gore.com 41%

28 (49) Intel 53,637 -6% 213,455 Santa Clara, Calif. (238) 36% -3,447 10% www.intel.com 25%

29 S.C. Johnson & Son 3,413 0% 3,524 Racine, Wisc. (14) 13% -13 2% www.scjohnson.com 37%

30 (22) Stew Leonard's 1,841 6% 6,256 Norwalk, Conn. (5) 52% 77 21% www.stewleonards.com 44%

31 (82) Merck 47,669 9% N.A. Whitehouse Station, N.J. (73) 25% 3,601 8% www.merck.com 52%

32 (48) Whole Foods Market 22,938 13% N.A. Austin (191) 41% 2,708 45% www.wholefoodsmarket.com 43%

33(31) Agilent Technologies 17,897 -20% 350,000 Palo Alto (189) 26% -4,465 6% www.agilent.com 34%

34 Silicon Graphics 2,910 -33% 825 Mountain View, Calif. (30) 25% -952 5% www.sgi.com 32%

35 (19) Goldman Sachs* 12,458 -14% N.A. New York (26) 29% -2,000 15% www.gs.com 37%

*All employment figures are as of Nov. 30, 2002.

36 (91) American Express 46,246 -19% 56,411 New York (1,435) 27% -8,490 20% www.americanexpress.com 64%

37 (37) SRA International 2,078 19% 1,342 Fairfax, Va. (60) 28% 313 8% www.sra.com 40%

38 IBM 139,723 -8% 238,990 Armonk, N.Y. (580) 22% -10,376 4% www.ibm.com 32%

39 Network Appliance 1,790 -5% 11,195 Sunnyvale, Calif. (39) 32% -93 5% www.netapp.com 22%

40 (47) Alcon Laboratories 5,938 4% 80,000 Fort Worth (8) 25% 244 2% www.alconlabs.com 49%

41 QuikTrip 6,185 12% 78,913 Tulsa (406) 23% 423 21% www.quiktrip.com 37%

42 (55) Continental Airlines 37,636 -14% 74,110 Houston (120) 35% -4,199 4% www.continental.com 46%

43 AmeriCredit 4,806 13% 17,428 Fort Worth (248) 39% 527 13% www.americredit.com 66%

44 (60) Bright Horizons 12,249 12% 9,852 Watertown, Mass. (390) 31% 1,014 15% www.brighthorizons.com 97%

45 (79) Fannie Mae 4,770 8% 8,000 Washington, D.C. (58) 42% 345 3% www.fanniemae.com 51%

46 (97) Procter & Gamble 40,229 -5% 117,368 Cincinnati (105) 18% -1,739 5% www.pg.com 40%

47 (58) Starbucks 54,216 10% 800,000 Seattle (3,136) 44% 778 10% www.starbucks.com 61%

48 (61) Four Seasons Hotels 12,187 -2% 43,447 Toronto (23) 60% -279 20% www.fourseasons.com 42%

49 (38) VHA 1,428 3% 1,100 Irving, Texas (30) 13% 35 6% www.vha.com 62% (33)

50 AFLAC 3,361 7% 8,261 Columbus, Ga. (4) 39% 238 9% www.aflac.com 70%

51 (74) Harley-Davidson 7,900 5% 32,443 Milwaukee (15) 10% 362 2% www.harley-davidson.com 24%

52 Autodesk 2,222 8% 36,000 San Rafael, Calif. (31) 26% 182 4% www.autodesk.com 33%

53 (71) National Instruments 1,983 3% N.A. Austin (11) 27% 56 8% www.ni.com 31%

54 (66) First Tennessee 10,365 7% 18,828 Memphis (470) 26% 720 12% www.firsttennessee.com 69%

55 Colgate-Palmolive 5,822 -3% 2,500 New York (65) 26% -147 5% www.colgate.com 38%

56 (29) Valassis 1,317 -8% 13,257 Livonia, Mich. (12) 12% -103 6% www.valassis.com 50%

57 (93) Eli Lilly 21,391 10% 250,000 Indianapolis (7) 12% 1,875 4% www.lilly.com 45%

58 (21) Intl. Data Group 1,752 -31% N.A. Boston (25) 11% -499 9% www.idg.com 56%

59 (72) Acxiom 4,409 -7% 2,071 Little Rock (23) 12% -327 5% www.acxiom.com 41%

60 Arnold & Porter 1,437 -1% 13,610 Washington, D.C. (8) 32% -15 12% www.aporter.com 57%

61 (45) Intuit 6,274 7% 142,379 Mountain View, Calif. (22) 27% 382 11% www.intuit.com 47%

62 (65) Timberland 2,200 -4% 75,400 Stratham, N.H. (79) 31% -53 21% www.timberland.com 49%

63 (56) LensCrafters 23,432 33% N.A.. Cincinnati (2,349) 34% 3,287 16% www.lenscrafters.com 58%

64 (44) SEI Investments 1,658 -3% 4,000 Oaks, Pa. (8) 10% -45 10% www.seic.com 39%

65 (73) Medtronic 18,235 14% 100,000 Minneapolis (174) 29% 2,131 7% www.medtronic.com 48%

66 Northwestern Mutual 4,240 7% 13,100 Milwaukee (10) 15% 263 3% www.northwesternmutual.com 67%

67 (67) A.G. Edwards 17,276 -3% 31,747 St. Louis (705) 7% -547 11% www.agedwards.com 45%

68 (87) Ernst & Young 23,469 4% 299,376 New York (84) 20% 715 13% www.ey.com 49%

69 (92) Kimberly-Clark 22,134 -2% N.A. Dallas (30) 16% -473 4% www.kimberly-clark.com 34%

70 Valero Energy 20,100 80% 42,646 San Antonio (1,578) 35% 14,640 28% www.valero.com 42%

71 (76) Ukrop's Super Markets 5,751 1% 17,420 Richmond, (32) 27% 29 8% www.ukrops.com 52%

72 (85) FedEx 172,569 -2% 355,883 Memphis (2,500) 40% -1,622 4% www.fedex.com 28%

73 (62) REI 6,313 -1% 19,860 Kent, Wash. (63) 12% -29 11% www.rei.com 40%

74 (90) Marriott International 139,341 6% N.A. Washington, D.C. (2,200) 59%* 6,506 16% www.marriott.com 57%*

*Does not include Ritz-Carlton.

75 (70) MFS Investment Mgmt. 2,658 -4% 4,468 Boston (3) 17% -108 11% www.mfs.com 41%

76 (43) Griffin Hospital 1,129 4% 3,434 Derby, Conn. (1) 8% 26 12% www.griffinhealth.org 78%

77 (50) Sun Microsystems 23,503 -10% 13,497 Santa Clara, Calif. (115) 34% -2,333 3% www.sun.com 32%

78 Yakima Valley Memorial 1,383 5% 3,000 Yakima, Wash. (6) 11% 42 9% www.memorialhospital.ws 82%

79 (35) Deloitte & Touche 22,974 -30% 312,765 New York (97) 21% -6,642 10% www.deloitte.com 48%

80 (59) Genentech 5,077 9% 52,629 South San Francisco (2) 40% 414 8% www.gene.com 49%

81 (23) Amer. Century Invest. 2,711 -14% 5,867 Kansas City (21) 10% -370 7% www.americancentury.com 54%

82 ARUP Laboratories 1,409 6% 8,540 Salt Lake City (2) 12% 76 11% www.aruplab.com 59%

83 (88) Vanguard Group 10,575 -6% 27,283 Valley Forge, Pa. (3) 21% -598 10% www.vanguard.com 49%

84 Baxter International 20,099 10% 100,000 Deerfield, Ill. (66) 29% 1,658 7% www.baxter.com 55%

85 Baptist Health S. Fla. 8,540 9% 13,451 Coral Gables, Fla. (20) 66% 533 14% www.baptisthealth.net 76%

86 (69) Barton Protective Svcs. 12,122 4% 23,300 Atlanta (31) 62% 386 27% www.bartonsolutions.com 35%

87 (83) Publix Super Markets 123,137 2% N.A. Lakeland, Fla. (709) 36% 1,183 12% www.publix.com 50%

88 (42) Paychex 7,253 1% 26,965 Rochester, N.Y. (111) 16% 65 17% www.paychex.com 63%

89 (40) Mitre 4,766 -2% 28,900 Bedford, Mass. (56) 12% -75 3% www.mitre.org 32%

90 (46) Charles Schwab 17,961 -14% 30,352 San Francisco (474) 25% -2,780 9% www.schwab.com 41%

91 Electronic Arts 1,970 -8% 40,962 Redwood City, Calif. (18) 19% -153 11% www.ea.com 24%

92 (84) Nordstrom 38,811 9% N.A. Seattle (188) 39% 2,171 N.A. www.nordstrom.com 72%

93 New York Times 12,938 -3% 30,000 New York (136) 20% -345 6% www.nytco.com 36%

94 Perkins Coie 1,423 2% 2,206 Seattle (13) 16% 19 10% www.perkinscoie.com 60%

95 (95) Texas Instruments 17,737 -7% 26,184 Dallas (152) 32% -1,240 6% www.ti.com 28%

96 CH2M Hill 10,323 5% 69,271 Denver (104) 15% 514 6% www.ch2m.com 31%

97 Washington Mutual 50,477 24% 72,950 Seattle (2,526) 38% 9,827 23% www.wamu.com 69%

98 Welch Allyn 1,442 -7% 13,625 Skaneateles, N.Y. (5) 15% -101 7% www.welchallyn.com 44%

99 (80) Guidant 7,654 7% 27,152 Indianapolis (37) 34% 512 8% www.guidant.com 48%

100 Principal Financial 14,188 -3% 33,945 Des Moines (421) 8% -401 11% www.principal.com 71%

Entry-level salary: 2001 Training Professional revenues Hours/year Hourly In millions

[Edward Jones] 146 hrs. $64,070 $2,100 $23,205

[Container Store] 162 hrs. $37,295 $239 $20,280

[Alston & Bird] 40 hrs. $100,000 $282 $35,000

[Xilinx] N.A. $60,750 $1,016 $30,059

[Adobe Systems] 51 hrs. $63,000 $1,230 $35,000

[Amer. Cast Iron Pipe] 71 hrs. $58,896 $650 $31,413

[TDIndustries] 43 hrs. $45,000 $191 $36,000

[J.M. Smucker] 50 hrs. $44,000 $687 $29,500

[Synovus] 52 hrs. $29,000 $1,566 $17,695

[Wegmans] 40 hrs. $55,070 $2,920 $20,176

[Plante & Moran] 60 hrs. $40,000 $158 $25,000

[Pella] 28 hrs. $38,700 $900 $29,000

[CDW] 68 hrs. $77,200 $3,962 $27,135

[J.M. Family Enterprises] 30 hrs. $64,525 $7,800 $21,453

[Baptist Health Care] 56 hrs. $35,446 $743 $14,560

[Vision Service Plan] 43 hrs. $55,449 $1,774 $22,262

[Republic Bancorp] 30 hrs. $85,000 $405 $43,500

[Qualcomm] 20 hrs. $67,000 $2,679 $20,779

[SAS Institute] 32 hrs. $47,256 $1,130 $29,847

[Microsoft] N.A. N.A. $28,370 N.A.

[Pfizer] N.A. $48,500 $32,259 N.A.

[MBNA] 33 hrs. $54,973 $10,145 $31, 292

[Third Federal S&L] 71 hrs. $40,000 N.A. $21,840

[Cisco Systems] N.A. $75,000 $22,293 $43,500

[Duncan Aviation] 40 hrs. $43,500 $275 $33,300

[Sterling Bank] 96 hrs. $44,000 $189 $23,500

[W.L. Gore] 18 hrs. N.A. $1,200 N.A.

[Intel] 45 hrs. $79,249 $26,500 $35,982

[S.C. Johnson & Son] 40 hrs. $73,850 $5,000 $31,352

[Stew Leonard's] 30 hrs. $46,000 $257 $20,157

[Merck] 40 hrs. $58,500 $47,716 $42,900

[Whole Foods Market] 35 hrs. $44,230 $2,300 $21,235

[Agilent Technologies] 20 hrs. $77,295 $8,396 $30,743

[Silicon Graphics] 23 hrs. $56,460 $1,300 $30,210

[Goldman Sachs] 35 hrs. $50,000 $15,811 N.A.

[American Express] 40 hrs. $75,400 $21,359 $32,600

[SRA International] 30 hrs. $53,024 $360 $29,963

[IBM] 50 hrs. $66,400 $85,866 $23,000

[Network Appliance] 40 hrs. $50,000 $798 $24,960

[Alcon Laboratories] 45 hrs. $45,000 $2,748 $19,240

[QuikTrip] 20 hrs. $53,090 $3,050 $33,680

[Continental Airlines] 61 hrs. $30,000 $8,969 $20,280

[AmeriCredit] 50 hrs. $42,496 $1,190 $26,097

[Bright Horizons] 75 hrs. $27,800 $346 $18,200

[Fannie Mae] 4 hrs. $55,000 $50,803 $28,600

[Procter & Gamble] 18 hrs. $75,000 $39,000 $27,200

[Starbucks] 40 hrs. $52,500 $2,649 $23,000

[Four Seasons Hotels] 35 hrs. $29,931 $1,592 $21,240

[VHA] 32 hrs. $78,625 $394 $29,325

[AFLAC] 138 hrs. $42,429 $9,600 $20,948

[Harley-Davidson] 40 hrs. $70,000 $3,360 $50,898

[Autodesk] 50 hrs. $100,000 $948 $36,000

[National Instruments] 40 hrs. $52,500 $385 $20,758

[First Tennessee] 50 hrs. $34,000 $1,866 $17,600

[Colgate-Palmolive] 40 hrs. $68,000 $9,084 $28,260

[Valassis] 42 hrs. $29,000 $850 $38,000

[Eli Lilly] 70 hrs. $46,800 $11,543 $31,000

[Intl. Data Group] 12 hrs. $43,000 $3,010 $34,600

[Acxiom] 38 hrs. $36,000 $866 $22,000

[Arnold & Porter] N.A. $125,000 $359 $45,000

[Intuit] N.A. $103,500 $1,300 $30,500

[Timberland] 26 hrs. $39,690 $1,184 $17,139

[LensCrafters] 40 hrs. $65,000 $1,887 $16,650

[SEI Investments] N.A. $45,000 $658 $28,000

[Medtronic] 36 hrs. $49,604 $6,411 $21,244

[Northwestern Mutual] 54 hrs. $67,800 $16,212 $34,800

[A.G. Edwards] 45 hrs. $57,437 $2,338 $25,333

[Ernst & Young] 60 hrs. $53,423 $9,858 N.A.

[Kimberly-Clark] 37 hrs. $59,000 $14,524 $28,000

[Valero Energy] 30 hrs. $82,477 $30,000 $23,795

[Ukrop's Super Markets] 13 hrs. $52,500 $613 $19,042

[FedEx] 48 hrs. $60,000 $20,607 $34,500

[REI] 33 hrs. $46,342 $740 $15,704

[Marriott International] 40 hrs. $34,440 $20,000 $14,800

[MFS Investment Mgmt.] 60 hrs. $39,301 $45,592 $26,736

[Griffin Hospital] 79 hrs. $43,763 $73 $22,131

[Sun Microsystems] 40 hrs. $56,600 $13,000 $37,440

[Yakima Valley Memorial] 40 hrs. $41,080 N.A. $19,573

[Deloitte & Touche] 60 hrs. $44,700 $12,400 N.A.

[Genentech] 32 hrs. $56,506 $2,202 $36,036

[Amer. Century Invest.] 23 hrs. $62,400 N.A. $32,250

[ARUP Laboratories] 37 hrs. $44,000 $159 $36,300

[Vanguard Group] 55 hrs. $43,750 N.A. $26,000

[Baxter International] 40 hrs. $70,425 $7,660 $17, 075

[Baptist Health S. Fla.] 35 hrs. $41,808 $823 $14,622

[Barton Protective Svcs.] 40 hrs. $40,000 $305 $22,324

[Publix Super Markets] N.A. $60,000 $15,300 $19,480

[Paychex] 109 hrs. $47,000 $955 $28,080

[Mitre] 20 hrs. $82,365 $670 $43,027

[Charles Schwab] 35 hrs. $47,240 $4,350 N.A.

[Electronic Arts] 26 hrs. $60,000 $1,724 $28,000

[Nordstrom] N.A. N.A. $5,634 $31,000

[New York Times] 25 hrs. $74,699 $3,000 $30,510

[Perkins Coie] 50 hrs. $112,500 $240 $47,000

[Texas Instruments] 34 hrs. $56,700 $8,201 $24,500

[CH2M Hill] 16 hrs. $42,500 $2,338* $54,500

*Includes revenue from joint ventures.

[Washington Mutual] 40 hrs. $31,500 $17,692 $19,875

[Welch Allyn] 5 hrs. $54,858 $379 $20,787

[Guidant] 37 hrs. $54,846 $2,708 $17,712

[Principal Financial] N.A. $71,992 $9,300 $28,153

What makes it so great?

[Edward Jones] No. 1 for the second straight year, this stockbroker spends 3.8% of its payroll on training, with an average of 146 hours for every employee. New brokers at the 7,781 branches get more than four times that much. Why does Jones invest so much in its people? "In order to grow, you have to be trained," says managing partner John Bachmann, "or you get trapped in the present." While Wall Street firms are contracting, this Main Street firm is still hiring. The company is owned by employees (25% of them have partnership stakes), and perhaps that's why they care enough to have serious profit sharing and no layoffs. Says one administrative assistant: "I have never experienced working for a company that has so many satisfied employees." -- ANN HARRINGTON

[Container Store] Container Store continues to offer one of the highest pay scales in retail. New this year: domestic partner benefits, free yoga classes at distribution centers, chair massages at headquarters.

[Alston & Bird] The first law firm to crack the top five, Alston & Bird had zero layoffs and thrives on daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly communications. Also proud of its celebrations--Bunny Brunch, Welcome Breakfasts.

[Xilinx] Employees of the semiconductor maker have been protected from the tech downturn by the company's strict adherence to a no-layoff policy. Workers did take a 6% pay cut, but the CEO's salary was chopped 20%.

[Adobe Systems] Camaraderie is the byword at this Silicon Valley stalwart known for its graphics products: frequent all-hands meetings, job rotations, Friday night beer bashes. Three-week paid sabbaticals every five years.

[Amer. Cast Iron Pipe] Turnover of less than 2% is lowest on the list, and more than a third of employees have been here for 20 years and up. On-site clinic offers free medical and dental for employees (and their families) for life.

[TDIndustries] Employee-owned construction firm links health insurance premiums to compensation--the less you earn, the less you pay. An entry-level worker can cover his family for $25 a week.

[J.M. Smucker] J.M. Smucker offers employees unlimited paid time off to volunteer, and Brenda Dempsey (above) is just one of many who give back to the community with the Ohio company's support. At Orrville High School's business-economics class, Dempsey, the director of corporate communications, helps out with sessions on business ethics, problem solving, and decision-making. Back at headquarters the addition of Jif peanut butter and Crisco shortening to Smucker's pantry of jellies, jams, and ice-cream toppings has brought on about 450 employees and doubled sales. Led by the fourth generation of Smuckers, the 105-year-old company provides health care for retirees and their spouses, as well as on-site stop-smoking classes. And all employees in the Orrville area have the opportunity to be taste testers. -- A.H.

[Synovus] Great benefits at this Southeastern bank holding company--on-site child care, state-of-the-art gym, generous profit sharing and pension plans--reflecting what it calls a "culture of the heart."

[Wegmans] The supermarket chain lets workers take off to volunteer and to care for sick pets; employees have mentored more than 1,000 high school kids. Workers also get free ESL classes. New: up to $5,000 for adoption.

[Plante & Moran] Michigan accounting firm impresses with percentage of female partners and directors (19%) and gives awards every year to employees who have best contributed to "spirit of team play and selfless behavior."

[Pella] No layoffs at the window-and-door maker since its founding in 1925. Profit sharing amounts to 15% of pay. Perfect attendance gets a $100 savings bond or a day off--it's not uncommon for 65% of staff to qualify.

[CDW] Computer-products provider passed out $5 million in bonuses on reaching $3 billion in sales. After three years, if targets are met, you can take your family on a trip in the continental U.S. Plus: no layoffs ever.

[J.M. Family Enterprises] Toyota distributor boasts no layoffs; profit sharing that adds 15% to pay; pension plan and health insurance coverage prorated to income. And the corporate jet will take employees home for family emergencies.

[Baptist Health Care] No-secrets policy means housekeepers are privy to the same financial info as the CFO. Every employee received a $100 check as thanks for the hospital's scoring in the top percentile for patient satisfaction.

[Vision Service Plan] All the companies on our list care about their employees, but VSP may be the first to honor co-workers who have passed away. A fountain at the not-for-profit's headquarters was converted to a memorial at the suggestion of a grieving co-worker of a VSP employee who had recently died. CEO Roger Valine started with the company 29 years ago when it had just 30 employees. "Even though it's much larger now, it's still a close company," he says. "When Louise [Bonner, who recommended the memorial] brought it to my attention, the light went on in my mind that all of these persons were good people for us." A provider of prepaid vision plans, VSP continues its generosity toward workers: Profit sharing has delivered 15% of annual salary every year since 1970, and unused sick time can be converted to cash or vacation. New this year: yoga classes and discounts on flowers. -- A.H.

[Republic Bancorp] The Valentine's Day cookies and Easter egg hunts are nice, but what's really sweet are the stock options everyone gets--especially since the total return on the bank's stock is more than 1,000% since 1991.

[Qualcomm] For salaried employees, the sick-day policy is an honor system. No risk they'll abuse it; 90% of staff looks forward to coming to work. Cafeterias serve sushi, and if you work late, dinner is free.

[SAS Institute] 60 Minutes usually visits companies it wants to expose, but Morley Safer couldn't stop raving about SAS: Child care for $300 a month, cafeteria (with pianist), gym, and health clinic make for low turnover.

[Microsoft] The big gorilla attracts bright people to its bucolic campus, which includes softball fields, a basketball court, and locker rooms with showers. Or if you prefer, get a paid membership in an off-site gym.

[Pfizer] Training on every level is available, from self-paced courses to study at Harvard and an on-site master's program. Tuition reimbursement with no cap. Job rotation encouraged.

[MBNA] Getting married? The credit card issuer throws in $500, limo, and an extra week of vacation. Want kids? $20,000 adoption reimbursement, an extra paid week off (for grandparents too), and on-site child care.

[Third Federal S&L] This S&L celebrated record mortgage lending by giving $1,000 to every associate. To dispel winter blahs it threw a companywide Mardi Gras breakfast with paczkis (Polish doughnuts), magicians, and caricaturists.

[Cisco Systems] Strong people-oriented culture helped Cisco weather layoffs and a major drop in the stock price. Spectacular child-care center watches over 400 kids--a rare perk among its Silicon Valley peers.

[Duncan Aviation] Photos of employees hang on the walls of this aircraft-maintenance outfit, and birthdays are announced over the PA. If a project requires working for days on end, employees get to take their families to dinner.

[Sterling Bank] Sterling prides itself on creative compensation: Managers can negotiate benefits (fitness memberships, flex schedules, sabbaticals). One employee got two months to hike the Appalachian Trail.

[W.L. Gore] Very few titles and one-size cubicles. Gore is privately held, mostly by the Gore family (not Al's), but after a year everyone's an owner through the company-funded employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

[Intel] Silicon Valley chipmaker has no reserved parking spaces, no private offices, no executive dining rooms; execs fly coach and there are stock options for all. Factory workers start at $36,000.

[S.C. Johnson & Son] Jane Hutterly was working for Frito-Lay in Dallas 23 years ago when she came to S.C. Johnson for an interview. She never looked back. "I was given so much opportunity," says the onetime brand manager for Raid insecticide, now senior VP for worldwide corporate affairs. She's not the only one who feels that way. These six employees, shown outside the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed headquarters, have been with the company for a combined 152 years: (front row, from left) Maria Campbell, Sue Turner, Scott Johnson, Hutterly; (back row) Darwin Lewis and president and CEO Bill Perez. Their tenures are not unusual--one-third of employees have been onboard more than 20 years. The maker of Pledge, Windex, Edge, and other consumer products has provided an exceptional workplace since 1886. Family led and privately held, S.C. Johnson has never had a layoff, and it began its profit-sharing plan way back in 1917. -- A.H.

[Stew Leonard's] After it placed 22nd on our list last year, the supermarket operator gave employees a 22-minute break on Feb. 22. Also typical: free Thanksgiving turkeys for everyone.

[Merck] Profits are flat, and the stock has been down this year. But Merck hasn't slashed workforce or done away with on-site child care, fitness center, or pension. "I'm proud to say I work here," says one staffer.

[Whole Foods Market] Natural foods grocer keeps growing, and the plan is to triple the number of stores by the year 2010. Company has an egalitarian streak, practicing open-book and open-door policies.

[Agilent Technologies] Employees give management high marks for maintaining respect, despite massive layoffs. When Agilent temporarily cut U.S. salaries 10%, most of its European employees volunteered to take the same cuts.

[Silicon Graphics] High-tech 3-D-imaging company touts paid six-week sabbaticals after four years as well as on-site massages, foosball tables, espresso machines, a subsidized cafeteria, and sand volleyball courts.

[Goldman Sachs] Golden rep for integrity was enhanced when chairman Hank Paulson berated corporate America for unethical behavior. Even with staff cuts, employees still get 52 hours of paid volunteer time each year.

[American Express] Garnered applause for returning to headquarters near ground zero. Employees feel respected: One nonmanagement staffer says that if he needed to reach the CEO, Ken Chenault "would take the call or call me back."

[SRA International] All new hires at this IT consultancy are given 30 shares of stock. Almost 100% of employees believe that management is honest and ethical. According to one, "This place really walks the talk."

[IBM] IBM employees have access to 67 day-care centers worldwide (61 in the U.S.). And since 1984 the company has invested more than $200 million in dependent care, including child- and elder-care subsidies.

[Network Appliance] At this maker of network storage products, they're geeky and they know it: A sign welcomes visitors to galactic headquarters, and past sales kickoffs had life-sized cutouts of execs in Star Trek costumes.

[Alcon Laboratories] A strong sense of family at this eye-products maker means very few people leave. Rich benefits help. Among the latest: Defibrillators were recently placed everywhere to prevent heart-attack deaths.

[QuikTrip] Chester Cadieux II (far left), co-founder and chairman of QuikTrip, knows the convenience-store business from the ground up: He started with one store in Tulsa--and the company joke is that he got to be president because he was willing to work nights. But the hands-on tradition is serious business at this private company, where most of upper management started out at the stores. That includes the president and CEO, Chester III (left), who goes by "Chet." "The purpose of QuikTrip is to give our employees the opportunity to grow and succeed," he says. "How could I possibly know what that is until I walked in their shoes?" QuikTrip provides better pay and benefits than the competition, plus profit sharing and bonuses should a "mystery shopper" be impressed. Even part-timers get health and tuition benefits. Employees rate their store managers and own one-third of the company through the employee stock ownership plan. -- A.H.

[Continental Airlines] Everyone gets a $100 bonus when the airline ranks first in on-time arrivals--in 2002 that meant payouts of $47 million. A program funded by co-worker donations assists employees in financial need.

[AmeriCredit] To celebrate reaching the $15 billion loan mark, the auto lender sent each branch a "fiesta in a box" (with pinata and salsa music). Employees praise the town halls, newsletters, and lunch programs with execs.

[Bright Horizons] Nation's largest operator of work-site child-care centers pays 50% above the industry standard. Also: health insurance, long-term disability, 401(k), and $400-a-month child-care subsidy.

[Fannie Mae] Employees of this home-mortgage financer receive a "healthy-living day off" and a day of "home-purchase leave." A 100% forgivable home loan--worth up to $33,000 in some markets--is part of the deal.

[Procter & Gamble] Strong diversity programs have doubled the number of minorities and women at the VP/general manager level in the past five years. Support groups for minorities, gays and lesbians, and the disabled.

[Starbucks] Even part-time servers get health insurance, stock options, and--soon--tuition reimbursement. Maybe that explains their relentless friendliness. (Or it could be the weekly pound of free coffee.)

[Four Seasons Hotels] Customers are treated well--if it's not immoral or illegal, Four Seasons will do it--and so is staff. Above-average pay and benefits, and housekeepers start at $21,200 a year. Formal no-layoff policy.

[VHA] Employees--80% of whom work flex schedules--can award val you stickers to peers who show company values--service, dignity, integrity, wisdom. (VHA is a cooperative that provides services to hospitals.)

[AFLAC] The 32-acre campus has a YMCA fitness center, acute-care clinic, 14 training classrooms, walking trails, child care--and a pond with ducks, natch. Twelve weeks' paid maternity/paternity leave for eligible staff.

[Harley-Davidson] Harley-Davidson pays 100% of health-insurance premium (for employees and family members). Machinists can make $51,000. Best of all, the company has had virtually no layoffs in 15 years.

[Autodesk] Call it an Ed McMahon moment: With its Peer to Peer Awards, Autodesk, a special-effects-software designer, has added drama to its incentive plan. Employees get to surprise co-workers with spot bonuses of $1,000. During a recent quarterly meeting of the Autodesk Business Center, Steven Scott was honored with a Director's Choice Award. "It feels good to know that I've had an impact," says Scott (he's the one hugging ABC director Jay Emmons as the emcee looks on). There are also perks that last long after the show is over and the check has cleared: six-week sabbaticals after four years on the job and benefits for same-sex domestic partners that are equal to those for state- endorsed partnerships. Says one Autodesk employee: "How can you not enjoy working for a company where you can bring your dog in every day?" -- CHRISTOPHER TKACZYK

[National Instruments] Founder James Truchard, known as Dr. T, sets the tone: He greets newcomers, practices "sneaker management," hosts twice-yearly all-hands meetings, has a 100-year plan, and draws a salary of $193,348.

[First Tennessee] All employees were offered stock options last year. The top loan producer in the equity division wins the use of a BMW convertible and a reserved parking space. They're proud to work here, say 86%.

[Colgate-Palmolive] New parents get a three-week paid leave on top of regular disability. On-site banking, travel agent, and film processing make errands easier. Intramural sports leagues contribute to the fun.

[Valassis] Valassis--maker of advertising fliers and the like --is family-friendly: A "lactation room" has breast pumps, and children of employees starting college receive care packages from the company.

[Eli Lilly] On-site mammograms and gynecological exams (for spouses too), and colonoscopies for employees, retirees, and spouses. New mothers get 68 weeks of job-protected leave; $10,000 adoption assistance.

[Intl. Data Group] Publisher of computer mags and Dummies books listens to suggestions. One office put in an arcade; another lets staffers do hiring interviews. Chairman Pat McGovern personally hands out bonus checks.

[Acxiom] Employees are thrilled with the sense of freedom that they have. Says one: "There's no micromanagement, and we're given the option of flex hours or working from home."

[Arnold & Porter] Lawyers sign on at $125,000 a year, legal secretaries at $45,000; health-insurance premium is pegged to income. Forty percent of support staff has more than ten years of experience.

[Intuit] Who thinks about the boss while on vacation? Alan Hampton probably did, since his employer, Intuit, picked up the tab. The maker of TurboTax and Quicken software spends 1.5% of its compensation budget recognizing employees. As a reward for designing and building a data center, Hampton got a thank-you e-mail linking him to a website where he discovered his reward--an expenses-paid weekend trip. He took his wife, Vickie, horseback riding at Monterey Bay in California. (Craig Ramsay, far left, went kayaking with his wife, Dina, near Vancouver.) For its part, the workforce is big on giving back: Employees get 32 hours of paid time annually for volunteering in company-sponsored projects (most suggested by workers), which added up to 7,600 hours of community service last year. -- A.H.

[Timberland] Bootmaker closed offices on May 30 so that employees could build playgrounds, help the elderly. Everyone gets 40 paid volunteer hours a year, and is eligible for six months of full-pay "social service leave."

[LensCrafters] Sunglass Hut, a new sister company, joined this year's Visionfest, where managers and execs donned white gloves, top hats, and bow ties to welcome employees, park their cars, and open doors.

[SEI Investments] No titles, no secretaries, no private offices at this financial services firm. But what surroundings: 100 acres of wetlands and woodlands. "It promotes creative thinking and a sense of community," says one employee.

[Medtronic] Art Collins, CEO of the medical-device maker, personally gives every new employee a company medallion and copy of the corporate values--and all senior managers attend a five-day workshop on ethics.

[Northwestern Mutual] Free lunch! Cafeteria menus list calories instead of prices. Thirty different clubs promote subsidized activities (skiing, fishing, bowling ...). Over three-quarters of staff plan on staying until retirement.

[A.G. Edwards] Non-execs own 22% of the St. Louis-based stockbroker, in part because of a generous stock-purchase subsidy. "The highest levels of management are extremely accessible," says a staffer.

[Ernst & Young] Three women promoted to partner in 2002 have flexible schedules; new mothers and fathers get two weeks' paid leave (plus disability); and domestic-partner benefits are available.

[Kimberly-Clark] One sign that employees like working at the maker of Kleenex and Huggies; 56% have been here for more than ten years. To foster team spirit, one unit staged its own version of Survivor.

[Valero Energy] The oil refiner and retail-store operator has grown in five years from 900 employees to over 22,000, but injuries are 40% lower than the industry standard. On-site cafeteria, dry cleaning, massages, car wash.

[Ukrop's Super Markets] Supermarket chain returns 20% of pretax profits to employees and 10% to the community--and isn't open Sundays. Some 3,500 employees (and families) frolic at the annual picnic at the Ukrop home.

[FedEx] A FedEx courier starts at $34,500, and 91% of FedEx Express managers moved up from a nonmanagement slot. Employees can appeal grievances to progressively higher levels of management.

[REI] Employees share a passion for the sporting life at the outdoor retailer; the company is installing showers in stores so that staff can freshen up after exercising at lunch. Profit sharing boosted pay 15% last year.

[Marriott International] Over 40% of managers worked their way up through the ranks. Company-sponsored programs reach out to hire welfare recipients, people with disabilities, and workers over 50.

[MFS Investment Mgmt.] The inventor of the mutual fund kicks a third of profits back to employees and grants four weeks of vacation after one year. In its first-ever layoffs, 119 people got at least four months' severance.

[Griffin Hospital] Volunteers bake muffins; musicians and clowns stroll through patient units; dogs roam the halls often (the Pet Visitation Program). With each new birth, the Brahms lullaby graces the sound system.

[Sun Microsystems] Cash bonuses have been replaced with other rewards, but salaries are still in the 75th percentile for the market. Ninety-five percent use flex schedules; 100% have access to up to $10,000 tuition reimbursement.

[Yakima Valley Memorial] The hospital's employees agree to respect co-workers--and at the end of November they choose names from their departments and shower them with small gifts and warm messages.

[Deloitte & Touche] In slow periods, Deloitte allows employees to take 30-plus days off at 20% of pay. Open-door policy, lunch sessions with partners, and 360-degree feedback. Aims to have 35% female partners/directors by 2005.

[Genentech] Swiss drug giant Roche owns 60% of Genentech, but biotech leader has a distinct culture. Six-week paid sabbatical every six years, no health-insurance premiums, Friday Ho-Ho parties.

[Amer. Century Invest.] Health insurance can cover another household member (domestic partner, parent, sibling, nanny) if you have no spouse; four-week paid sabbatical after seven years; $5,000 tuition reimbursement.

[ARUP Laboratories] The on-site health clinic (doping tests for the 2002 Olympics were run at ARUP) is free to employees, dependents, and retirees. New hires get 17 days off from their first day on the job.

[Vanguard Group] The mutual funds company has never laid off a "crew member." CEO Jack Brennan regularly pitches in and works the phone on busy days. Voluntary turnover is six percentage points below the industry average.

[Baxter International] Medical-device provider gives ten to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave; 47% of managers are women. When a defect led to 50 deaths, CEO Harry Kraemer cut his bonus by 40% and other exec bonuses by 20%.

[Baptist Health S. Fla.] With a new multimillion-dollar nursing center and one of the highest salaries for RNs in the region ($41,000 and up), this nonprofit hospital has reduced nursing turnover 13% in three years.

[Barton Protective Svcs.] Thanks to 401(k) and tuition plans, the security-guard firm claims to lead the industry in employee retention. Revenues are up 23% a year over the past ten years. The most important corporate value? "Love."

[Publix Super Markets] All "associates" (never employees) are owners via an ESOP--which owns 27.5% of the stock--with contributions of stock geared to profits. Publix promotes from within and has never had a layoff.

[Paychex] The payroll company offers 109 hours of training annually (only three on the list do more) and gives stock options to virtually everyone. Founder Tom Golisano ran for governor of New York; he came in third.

[Mitre] This isn't your average not-for-profit (it does R&D for the Pentagon): On-site fitness centers and massage therapy, $14,000 tuition reimbursement, and free investment counseling are just a few of the perks.

[Charles Schwab] Savaged by the decline in stock trading, the discount broker cut its workforce but retained employee loyalty and respect by being up-front and offering generous severance.

[Electronic Arts] Standing at the entrance of the on-site labyrinth of Electronic Arts is Curt Wilhelm, director of corporate facilities at the videogame developer. Employees are invited to wander the maze--which measures 81 feet in diameter--and amuse themselves during those stressful moments when creativity levels are running low. "Most creativity comes at one of two times: When your back is against the wall or in a time of calm," says senior vice president of human resources Rusty Rueff, who came up with the idea. "Since we have plenty of the former at a growth company like EA, we wanted to be sure that we had ways to find the latter." Game developers can also refresh their energy with free espresso or by playing volleyball and basketball. If all the fun becomes too much, seven-week sabbaticals are available after seven years with the company, and 12-week breaks after 12 years. -- C.T.

[Nordstrom] The 401(k) plan at the department store chain matches up to 4% of salary, and health benefits include same-sex domestic partners. Almost two-thirds of execs and senior managers are women.

[New York Times] The bottom line: Employees told us they're proud to work for a newspaper that is arguably the world's best. Says one: "[Publisher] Arthur Sulzberger Jr. places the integrity of his journalism above all else."

[Perkins Coie] This is a law firm? Happiness committees perform random acts of kindness around the office. Employees rave about flex schedules and the eight-week paid sabbatical available to all.

[Texas Instruments] Flagging markets killed the profit-sharing payout, so TI did its first across-the-board stock-option grant. Dress is casual, and so is protocol: Everyone's on a first-name basis, from Tom the CEO on down.

[CH2M Hill] Employees own the engineering and construction company (with an individual limit of about 1%). A flat management structure helps 86% of employees feel they're "given a lot of responsibility."

[Washington Mutual] The quirky bank's motto ("More human interest") means allocating 2% of pretax earnings to charity and giving employees 48 hours of paid volunteer time a year. Morale booster: staff trading cards.

[Welch Allyn] Maker of medical equipment has a 400-acre campus with a 7,000-square-foot gym, sand volleyball courts, soccer and ultimate Frisbee fields--and a 25,000-square-foot training center.

[Guidant] Social activities bring together production-plant workers with patients whose lives have been saved by their medical products. An unpaid educational leave is offered after just one year of employment.

[Principal Financial] Upon going public in 2001, this provider of 401(k) plans granted every employee (save senior execs) 200 options. They can't be exercised for three years, but the price is already up about 50%.