When I started thinking about a headline that would capture the spirit and hard work of this year’s 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon, When the going gets tough was the first thing that came to mind. And it stuck.

What has your organization done to help employee morale during the downturn?

Private companies dominate the 100 Best Companies this year, as does the professional service sector. We specifically crunched the numbers on health benefits, with our analysis showing that robust health care plans were important to being a Best Company.

There were nearly 20,000 employees from 303 companies who participated in our 17th annual 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon survey. It might not have been the best year for business, with a bad economy hanging on, but you wouldn’t know it by how our 2010 winners treated their employees.

What do the Top 10 Best Companies do that keeps their employees motivated, loyal and upbeat? It’s as big as paying 100% of health care insurance and as small as a contest for the ugliest shirt. And let’s not forget the free massage.

Here’s a sampling from some of the 100 Best employee surveys of what doesn’t work, even from some of the best workplaces in the state.