INDEPENDENT travel agent, Hays Travel has been recognised as one of the UK's top 100 employers.

The prestigious list is published in the Sunday Times and put together by Best Companies, the employee engagement specialists, who survey workforces to examine the ins-and-outs of company life.

The firm rescued 2,500 jobs when Thomas Cook went into liquidation, including taking over the Thomas Cook travel shops in St Helens.

Hays Travel managing director, John Hays, said: "I am absolutely delighted that we have been named as one of the Sunday Times' Best Companies to Work For in the UK. The company would be nothing without its amazing team, so I am thrilled that we are recognised as having a happy and motivated workforce."

St Helens Star:

Helen Liddle, Hays Travel's head of human resources, said: "I am extremely proud that Hays Travel has been recognised as one of the Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For in the UK once again.

"Our people are the drivers of the business and this recognition shows that they are both motivated and highly engaged.

"We work hard to make happy, healthy environments for our people to work in and we value our employees' feedback, investing in their ideas to make the workplace an even better place to be.

"This is a particularly remarkable achievement for the company this year, due to the significant growth we've experienced since taking over the Thomas Cook retail portfolio in October 2019.

"We're looking forward to joining together to celebrate this year's success on Best Companies Day, when we will be showing our teams how proud we are of them and how much they are appreciated."

St Helens Star:

Jonathan Austin, CEO and Founder of Best Companies, said: "I would like to congratulate Hays Travel on being named as one of the UK's Best Companies to Work for.

"We are proud to work with organisations like Hays Travel who focus on their people and as such have been rewarded with an engaged workforce who tell us that they’re a best company to work for."

The Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For in the UK were recognised at a glitzy ceremony at Battersea Evolution in London on Thursday, February 20.