The professional services firm, which has over 10,500 employees in the UK and is one of the country’s biggest graduate employers, achieved a ranking of fourteenth place, ahead of the likes of Accenture, Deloitte and KPMG. Ernst & Young also received a 1 Star Accreditation standard, which acknowledges excellence in the workplace, and were short-listed for a special award on wellbeing, at a special event held in London last night.

Ernst & Young was praised by the judges for its approach to work-life balance. The firm has long been a supporter of flexible working, but is striving to make it ‘business as normal’ rather than the exception, and accessible to all. The firm’s UK employees are encouraged to choose how, when, and where they work.

This latest accomplishment follows hot on the heels of Ernst & Young’ recent success in the 2013 Business Superbrands league table, which named the firm as the top accounting and business brand in Britain, last week.

Commenting on these accolades, Ernst & Young’s UK Chairman and UK&I; Managing Partner, Steve Varley, said: “I am extremely proud that Ernst & Young has been named as one of the UK’s best places to work. This is fantastic recognition of what we do well at Ernst & Young and reinforces our position as a favoured employer. Our people and culture are at the heart of our business, so being a best place to work is critical if we are to attract, develop and inspire the best talent.”

The Sunday Times Best Companies listing celebrates the best small, mid-size and big workplaces in the UK. The prestigious benchmark is based on a rigorous judging criteria and a survey of the organisations’ employees.