Breaking down the list

Who are the 56 companies on the 2021 Hearst Connecticut Media Top Workplaces list? In the 11th year of the awards, as always, the tally is heavy on services – especially health, finance and insurance.

That reflects the state’s economy. Manufacturers are rarer on the winners list, not because they’re scarce in Connecticut but because it’s harder for a company made up of factory workers to win a workplace award – so our hats are off to the three in that sector.

Among the winners are five providers of mental health and addiction services, which may tell us those companies know how to nurture their own people as well as clients. Food service, including restaurants, have made the list in the past but none appear this year; likewise, government agencies or public colleges.

One notable trend in 2021: The list includes nine previous members of the winners list who were absent last year, and in some cases, for a few years, but returned. Among them, Bridgewater Associates, the giant hedge fund and largest employer on the list, which returns after a sixyear hiatus.