...in the 5,000+ employee category. The employees of Telefónica O₂ Germany are delighted with their employer according to the independent study on workplace culture by the Great Place to Work® Institute Germany. This year O₂ took first place and was awarded the title of "Germany's Best Employer" in the 5,000+ employee category at the award ceremony on Wednesday by Labour Minister Ursula von der Leyen.
> Press release February 25, 2010
> Fotos of the awards ceremony on February 24, 2010 in Berlin
> Video on YouTube (german)

O₂ came out on top, based mainly on the results of its employee satisfaction survey: 97 per cent of employees said the employer treated them fairly and 89 per cent were proud of O₂. The conclusion of the study by the Great Place to Work Institute Germany reflects these figures in giving O₂ the "Germany's Best Employer" award for outstanding quality in the relationship between management and employees.

> René Schuster, CEO at O₂, says of the positive finish: "We believe the satisfaction of our employees is central to our economic success. The award underlines what we are very proud of at O₂: our corporate culture based on team spirit, creativity and the shared willingness of employees and management to travel down new and unfamiliar paths in achieving good results."

...in the 5,000+ employee category. This is now the eighth time that research institute and consultancy Great Place to Work® Institute Germany has set out to find Germany's top 100 employers. Along with a further 234 companies, O₂ undertook an anonymous employee survey by random selection and a culture audit. Workplace quality was assessed on the basis of employee satisfaction levels and the bond of trust between employees and management.

The company has already proved that the employer-employee relationship in the telecommunications market can shine through cooperation in daily business, despite the tough competitive environment, in winning 3rd prize in 2009. "O₂ relies on its top-class workers who put all their energy into their work. To balance this, O₂ gives them the freedom they need to foster a productive work environment," says > Joachim Kugoth, Managing Director Human Resources at O₂. "We meet this need by offering permanent training and retraining opportunities, measures to make family and profession more compatible and not least because we take our workers' health seriously."

> Awards for Telefónica O₂ Germany - overview (german)
> Digital press pack including footage & video (german)