ENERGY companies, the Environment Agency and the Bank of England have been named among the best for offering staff a decent work-life balance, a study shows.

Research by jobs site Glassdoor found that energy management consultancy Northern Gas & Power was the highest-rated firm, according to comments from employees.

One Gateshead-based worker said: "Working at NGP has given me the opportunity to begin a fantastic career in a discipline I'm really passionate about.

"In addition to giving me a high level of autonomy and a good level of mentoring, they also allow me the chance to grow and progress in my role."

Other companies and organisations to win praise were Love Energy Savings, Chess ICT, the Environment Agency, Skyscanner, Equal Experts, RHP, Capital One and the Bank of England.

Glassdoor said almost half of adults cited a work-life balance as a major factor in searching for a job.

Glassdoor managing director John Lamphiere said: "While tech companies get a lot of attention for offering amazing perks and handsome salaries, these results indicate that it's the non-tech businesses which provide UK employees with the best levels of work-life balance.

"If you want to attract quality talent you need to be able to provide flexible working conditions and have a management team open to the idea of their employees working from home.

"We know that a good work-life balance is important to UK jobseekers, so being a workplace where it's valued can be a serious recruiting advantage."