Winners:

Best work/life balance

• Premera Blue Cross
• Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems (AES)
• Verity Credit Union

For some of us workaholics, a true work/life balance may never be reached, but a handful of Northwest companies are doing their best to enforce one anyhow. Over at Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems (AES), "most employees work four nine-hour shifts Monday through Thursday, and are off by noon on Friday," says one worker. New employees also receive 120 hours of personal time off, which they can use immediately. As if that wasn't enough, we hear that AES has 11 paid holidays, including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Meanwhile, Verity Credit Union employees enjoy a 37.5-hour work week, plus generous paid-time-off and federal holidays. Over at Premera Blue Cross, employees universally praised the company's wellness programs and generous PTO packages. We're all for hard work, but it's nice to hear that so many Northwest companies encourage a bit of relaxing, too.

Honorable mention:

OTB Solutions Group
Here's a unique concept for anyone who has ever been glued to their BlackBerry, even on a vacation. The Information Technology gurus over at OTB require all team members "to disconnect fully during downtime," says one employee. "No work communication is allowed when you are on vacation." Being forced offline ... we like it.