Fortune Announces 2026 Best Companies to Work For

Despite AI volatility, Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For outperform the market by 3x.

Apr. 1, 2026 at 11:33am

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Great Place To Work, a UKG company, has announced the 2026 Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® List, in partnership with Fortune. The list represents the best companies in the country, according to anonymous surveys collected in 2025, representing the experiences of more than 7.3 million workers in the U.S. Companies on the list have seen an annualized stock return of 13.4% over the past 28 years, compared to 9.2% for the Russell 3000® Index.

Why it matters

The 100 Best group shows broader representation across industries, underscoring that the long-term results come from a diversified set of companies rather than concentration in mega-cap names. When people feel psychologically safe, they are more likely to feel confident in their leaders and stay with the company, which is critical to AI adoption and transformation.

The details

Companies on this year's list report significantly higher levels of psychological and emotional health (81%) compared to a typical U.S. workplace (56%). Employees are 2.5x more likely to adopt AI when leaders openly discuss and encourage its use, and 2.1x more likely to adopt AI when leaders explain how it helps employees' careers. At Synchrony, No. 1 on this year's list, employees are 9x more likely to embrace AI when leaders connect it to growth conversations and 4x more likely to embrace AI when they understand how AI creates growth opportunities.

  • The list was announced on April 1, 2026.

The players

Great Place To Work

A UKG company and the global authority on workplace culture, bringing 30 years of groundbreaking research and data to help every place become a great place to work for all.

Fortune

A global multi-platform media company built on a legacy of trusted, award-winning reporting and information for those who want to make business better.

Catherine Yoshimoto

Director of product management at FTSE Russell, which performed the stock market analysis in partnership with Great Place To Work.

Michael C. Bush

CEO of Great Place To Work.

Alyson Shontell

Fortune editor-in-chief and chief content officer.

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What they’re saying

“This dramatic past outperformance is particularly notable because the pattern was not driven by any single period. It reflects long-term compounding that continued through a variety of market conditions.”

— Catherine Yoshimoto, Director, product management at FTSE Russell

“When leaders create that environment for every working person, resistance fades. People believe AI will improve their work, their jobs, and their careers. Trust grows, and business performance follows.”

— Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place To Work

“Fortune is proud to collaborate with Great Place To Work for the 29th year to recognize the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Amid a fast-evolving workplace landscape, employees said these organizations continue to set the standard for cultures built on trust, innovation, and care for their people.”

— Alyson Shontell, Fortune editor-in-chief and chief content officer

What’s next

The full list of 100 Best winners can be found on the Great Place To Work website.

The takeaway

The 100 Best companies demonstrate that fostering a culture of trust, psychological safety, and care for employees is not only beneficial for workers, but also leads to long-term financial outperformance and faster adoption of transformative technologies like AI.