CenterPoint Energy strives to provide a robust, comprehensive and up-to-date benefits package that is designed to keep our employees healthy and happy. Comprehensive and flexible benefits are important, so we provide benefits in the areas of health, life, disability and accident insurance, retirement and savings, paid time off and career development. Each of these is described in more detail below.

Medical, Dental and Vision

CenterPoint Energy provides an array of choices in its health plans, along with flex dollars to help you build a customized set of benefits that fit you and your family best. Flex dollars can be spent on medical, dental, vision or long-term disability coverage. Pre-tax flexible spending accounts (healthcare and dependent care) are available to stretch your dollars.

We offer several levels of medical coverage, for single and family coverage. Each plan includes prescription drug benefits for both retail and mail order service. The company also offers several dental plan options, along with an option for vision coverage. There is also an employee assistance program that coordinates with all its health plans. The benefits described above begin on the first day of employment.

Life, Disability and Accident

CenterPoint Energy provides long-term disability insurance at 50 percent of annual base salary, basic life insurance up to $50,000 and business travel accident insurance at no cost to employees. Employees have the option to purchase additional life, disability and accident coverage, long term care insurance to protect their income and build a secure future for their families. Back up emergency child care is available in our Houston location.

Savings and Retirement

CenterPoint Energy helps employees plan for the future with two separate financial security plans. The company's Savings Plan allows pre-tax and/or after-tax contributions up to 16 percent of eligible pay, and provides a company match of 75 cents on the dollar up to 6 percent of pay. In addition, the company provides a defined benefit Retirement Plan, as well as access to retiree medical coverage.

Paid Time Off

The company provides ten annual paid holidays and a generous vacation schedule, with an option to purchase an additional week of vacation. Authorized paid sick leave and other types of paid time off are also available.

Career Development

One of CenterPoint Energy's most employee-centered investments is CNP University, a resource for all employees to develop skills and abilities that enable our business to be successful. CNP University is called a "learning partnership" because it represents a collaboration of departments and business units for the purpose of employee development, and includes specialized hands-on training as well as online e-Learning courses.

CenterPoint Energy also offers an educational assistance program that provides employees an additional avenue to increase their knowledge and skills. All regular, full-time employees are eligible to participate in these programs.

The above benefit information applies generally to regular, full-time employees. Some of the benefits are provided to part-time employees as well. Benefits and services listed may not apply to employees covered by a collective bargaining unit agreement. CenterPoint Energy reserves the right to amend, modify or terminate any of the plans or benefit service providers in whole or in part, at any time and without prior notice.