Employees of the UK’s best workplaces can rarely be short of a conversation-opener. “I’ve just had a ‘guest experience’ at Claridge’s with my partner,” could be the party icebreaker from a member of staff at Maybourne Hotels Group, which gives recruits a night’s free bed-and-breakfast in a deluxe room as part of their induction.

Or how about: “I had a Giant Schnauzer sitting at the desk next to mine today!” as the opening gambit from an employee of Ketchum, the public relations consultancy, which lets staff bring their pets to work when necessary.