Employer Profile

The benefits plan at this San Antonio-based energy firm, formerly Valero LP, includes everything from medical, dental and vision plans to life insurance, long-term care and survivor income. NuStarbucks -- the flex dollars that the company provides above and beyond base salary -- cover employees' basic benefit costs. The company also offers a thrift plan and a traditional defined-benefit pension plan. The thrift plan matches employee contributions dollar-for dollar up to 6% of pay. The pension plan provides a benefit equal to 1.6% multiplied by final average pay, multiplied by years of credited service. The final average pay, which is calculated using the highest three consecutive calendar years, includes overtime and bonuses in addition to base pay. Employees volunteered more than 43,000 hours to worthy causes last year -- cleaning up parks, mentoring at-risk youth, painting houses for the elderly, organizing collection drives for needy families, collecting gifts for underprivileged children and more. Ninety-nine percent of employees gave to the United Way last year, pledging a record $1.9 million with company matching. They also organized a charity golf tournament that raised $1.8 million for the homeless and raised thousands of dollars more for various causes through bowl-a-thons, bike tours, walk-a-thons and other events.