What makes it so great?Our new No. 1 sets the standard for Silicon Valley: free meals, swimming spa, and free doctors onsite. Engineers can spend 20% of time on independent projects. No wonder Google gets 1,300 resumés a day.
Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
Top 3 (of 16) U.S. locations: Mountain View, CA, New York, NY, Kirkland, WA
2005 revenue ($ millions): $6,138
2005 revenue ($ millions): $6,138
Website: http://www.google.com/
What makes it so great?Biotech leader has uncommonly loyal staffers. "Wild horses could not drag me away," says one employee. Last year 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.
Headquarters: South San Francisco
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: South San Francisco, CA, Vacaville, CA, Oceanside, CA
2005 revenue ($ millions): $6,633
Website: http://www.gene.com/
Genentech
What makes it so great?Biotech leader has uncommonly loyal staffers. "Wild horses could not drag me away," says one employee. Last year 537 employees took a six-week paid sabbatical, which is available for every six years of service.
Headquarters: South San Francisco
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: South San Francisco, CA, Vacaville, CA, Oceanside, CA
Website: http://www.gene.com/
Wegmans Food Markets 
What makes it so great?Private grocery chain gets thousands of letters every year from shoppers coveting a Wegmans in their neighborhood. The chain, founded in 1916, now operates in 71 stores in five states.
What makes it so great?Private grocery chain gets thousands of letters every year from shoppers coveting a Wegmans in their neighborhood. The chain, founded in 1916, now operates in 71 stores in five states.
Headquarters: Rochester, N.Y.
Top 3 (of 93) U.S. locations: Rochester, NY, Buffalo, NY, Syracuse, NY
2005 revenue ($ millions): $3,820
Website: http://www.wegmans.com/
Container Store
What makes it so great?Storage retailer pays sales employees 50% to 100% above industry average. Nearly one-tenth of all employees take advantage of "family friendly" shift, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing for school dropoffs and pickups.
What makes it so great?Storage retailer pays sales employees 50% to 100% above industry average. Nearly one-tenth of all employees take advantage of "family friendly" shift, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing for school dropoffs and pickups.
Headquarters: Coppell, Texas
Top 3 (of 38) U.S. locations: Coppell, TX, New York, NY, Houston, TX
2005 revenue ($ millions): $441
Website: http://www.containerstore.com/
Whole Foods Market
What makes it so great?Whole Foods has long had a salary cap limiting pay of top execs, currently at 19 times average full-time pay. But founder and CEO John Mackey went further, reducing his salary to $1 and forgoing all future stock options.
Headquarters: Austin
Top 3 (of 223) U.S. locations: New York, NY, Austin, TX, Washington, DC
2005 revenue ($ millions): $5,607
Website: http://www.wholefoods.com/
Network Appliance
What makes it so great?Data-storage company climbed 21 spots as employees cheered enhanced benefits for parents of special-needs children, widespread use of flexible schedules (95% of employees), and a soaring stock (up 50% in 2006).
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Top 3 (of 50) U.S. locations: Sunnyvale, CA, Research Triangle Park, NC, Mclean, VA
2005 revenue ($ millions): $2,070
Website: http://www.netapp.com/
S.C. Johnson & Son
What makes it so great?This household-products c
ompany subsidizes hotel stays for employees who live 25 miles or more from work and offers discounts at its newly expanded child-care center for families making under $60,000 a year.
ompany subsidizes hotel stays for employees who live 25 miles or more from work and offers discounts at its newly expanded child-care center for families making under $60,000 a year.Headquarters: Racine, Wis.
Top 3 (of 15) U.S. locations: Racine, WI, Bay City, MI, Fresno, CA
2005 revenue ($ millions): $7,000
Website: http://www.scjohnson.com/
Boston Consulting
Group What makes it so great?Employees working mor
e than 60 hours a week at this management consultant are placed in a "red zone" and advised by a career mentor. A push to hire more women resulted in a 25% rise in female consultants from 2004.
e than 60 hours a week at this management consultant are placed in a "red zone" and advised by a career mentor. A push to hire more women resulted in a 25% rise in female consultants from 2004.Headquarters: Boston
Top 3 (of 14) U.S. locations: Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, New York, NY
2005 revenue ($ millions): $1,505
Website: http://www.bcg.com/
Methodist Hospital
System What makes it so great?As gas prices soared last year, Methodist sent employees (everyone except top execs) a $250 gift card for use at Chevron stations, prompting more than 500 staffers to e-mail thank-yous to CEO Ron Girotto.
Headquarters: Houston
Top 3 (of 9) U.S. locations: Houston, TX, N.A., N.A.
2005 revenue ($ millions): $1,413
Website: http://www.methodisthealth.com/
W.L. Gore & Associates
What makes it so great?Great ideas (Gore-Tex, Glide dental floss) come from all corners at this nonhierarchical Delaware company, which prefers to promote from within. (CEO Terri L. Kelly joined Gore as a process engineer in 1983.)
Headquarters: Newark, Del.
Top 3 (of 28) U.S. locations: Elkton, MD, Flagstaff, AZ, Newark, DE
2005 revenue ($ millions): $1,984
Website: http://www.gore.com/
