Firms celebrate being named among best places to work in the UK

Law firm Smith Partnership and international themed attraction designer Katapult are celebrating after being named in the prestigious Sunday Times Best Places to Work for 2026.

Regional law firm Smith’s, which is headquartered in Derby, was recognised in the Medium Organisation category with an overall happiness rating of 81%.

Katapult was recognised in the Small Organisation. It was also named overall winner in the UK for Best Places to Work for LGBTQIA+ employees.

The nationwide awards framework celebrates Britain’s top employers based entirely on rigorous, anonymous feedback provided by their workforce.

James Johnson, managing partner at Smith Partnership, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognised by The Sunday Times as one of the Best Places to Work in the UK.

“This award means more to us than most, because it is our own people who have made it happen. Their feedback is what drives this recognition, and that makes it truly special.”

Katapult co-founder and chief executive Dawn Foote said: “We strive every day for a happy, healthy and creative team who continue to bring to life new experiences for clients and their guests.

“To have our culture validated directly by anonymous feedback from our own people is the ultimate honour.”

The Sunday Times Best Places to Work is among the most respected employer recognition programmes in the UK, with results determined entirely by employee feedback across six key engagement drivers:  Reward and Recognition, Instilling Pride, Information Sharing, Empowerment, Wellbeing and Job Satisfaction.

The Medium Organisation category celebrates employers with between 50 and 249 employees who demonstrate outstanding commitment to workplace culture, employee wellbeing and engagement.

James added: “We have always believed that a happy, supported and engaged team is the foundation of everything we do for our clients, and to have that validated on a national stage is something we are incredibly proud of.

“This is a brilliant moment for everyone at Smiths. I could not be prouder of our achievement.”

Katapult, which is the world’s first B Corp Certified themed attraction design company, achieved a score of 94%.

Dawn said: “At Katapult, our team spends days obsessing over creating memorable experiences for millions of guests around the world.

“As we approach the company’s 25th birthday, this award win is recognition of always putting our people at the heart of everything we do.”