Penn has been ranked one of the Top Workplaces in the Philadelphia region by the Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News based on survey responses provided by Penn employees themselves. The positive feedback drove the University and its Health System to the No. 3 spot among large employers (more than 500 employees), according to the Top Workplaces 2010 survey.

Released on March 21, the survey polled employees about their confidence in their employers, their managers and the fairness of their pay. Penn employees listed a number of reasons for loving their workplace, including their “excellent coworkers,” the “fantastic” benefits, the University’s belief in a “strong work/life balance” and the “strong sense of community and cross-department teamwork.”

Admission to Penn’s vast cultural and recreational amenities, including the Museum, the Institute of Contemporary Art, the Morris Arboretum and the Penn Ice Rink, which are all free with a PennCard, were also highlighted as perks of working for the University.

“We’re especially pleased to be named a Top Workplace since this recognition comes directly from our employees’ feedback,” says Jack Heuer, vice president for Penn’s Division of Human Resources.

Employers in the survey were quizzed about how they have dealt with key economic issues, such as the recession, and how they maintain workplace diversity, foster fun and reward good work. The University told the surveyors that it has been able to retain jobs and avoid institution-wide layoffs during the economic downturn by improved management of other operating expenses.

Also noted was Penn’s Economic Inclusion Program, which purchases products and services from local suppliers, works to provide jobs and skill-building opportunities for local residents and hires minority- and women-owned construction vendors for campus building projects.

WorkplaceDynamics, which conducted the poll, surveyed 170 employers in the region with a combined total of 131,384 employees. Some 61,579 employees were sent surveys and 34,616 responded. With 35,531 employees, Penn is by far the largest employer in the survey.