CenterPoint Energy 2004 Annual Report Download - page 25

CenterPoint Energy’s employees are the source of our
success. They operate and maintain our energy delivery
infrastructure. They work to satisfy our customers’ energy
needs, whether on the front lines or in the back offices. They
procure materials, process invoices and perform all the
functions necessary and vital to our business. They lead the
way in delivering energy to our customers, volunteer service
to our communities and earnings to our shareholders.
Safety – our priority
Our first commitment to our employees is to keep them
safe. We provide our employees safety training, wellness
information, health and safety updates, and safety policies
and practices. Our leadership attends safety meetings, and
individual managers and supervisors conduct and document
periodic on-site safety inspections. Safety initiatives and
training, such as our online safety training Web sites,
are regularly updated to help improve the safety of our
employees. We track vehicular incident and lost time
incident rates and other measures to assess progress toward
our goal of first quartile safety performance in our industry.
Competitive Compensation –
incentives, rewards and benefits
CenterPoint Energy strives to attract, motivate and retain
employees by offering competitive pay and benefits. In
addition to base pay, employees may receive awards for
exceptional performance and annual short-term incentives
for their role in achieving company goals. These objectives,
which are tailored for each of our business units, focus
on areas such as financial performance, safety, system
reliability and customer satisfaction. Tied to overall company
performance, the measures determine if employee bonuses
are paid. Bonuses are paid only if the company’s dividends
are paid at least at the previous year’s level. Bonuses were
paid to employees in 2004.
Employees may also choose from an array of flexible
benefits to select the medical, dental and vision plans
that are right for them and their families. Our employee
assistance program provides confidential counseling, legal
help and financial services.
In addition to a company-funded pension plan, employees
may contribute a portion of their pay to a 401(k) savings
plan. Employees are immediately vested in the plan, to
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WE WORK HARD FOR OUR
EMPLOYEES’ HEALTH, WELL-BEING
AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT
“For a forest to be green, each tree must be green.”
– Maharishi Mahesh Yogi