NuStar moves up on best list

NuStar Energy L.P. has announced that it ranked No. 15 on the 15th annual “100 Best Companies to Work For” list, which will appear in the Feb. 6 issue of Fortune. NuStar, which has made the list for four years in a row, moved up 15 places from last year when the company was ranked No. 30.

On Fortune’s website, NuStar is highlighted for paying 100 percent of employees’ health care premiums, having a no-layoff policy, and matching 401(k) contributions up to 6 percent of pay. There is also a write-up about NuStar in the site’s Best Perks section, as the company was listed among 14 companies with the best health care benefits.

Some of the considerations in NuStar’s selection for this honor include the company’s employee benefits plan, which has been rated the best in its industry by Hewitt Associates; its reward and recognition programs; commitment to volunteerism and charitable giving; and special corporate culture.

To pick the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Fortune partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America; 280 firms participated in this year’s survey. More than 246,000 employees at those companies responded to a survey created by the institute, a global research and consulting firm operating in 45 countries around the world.

Two-thirds of a company’s score is based on the results of the institute’s Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management’s credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie. The other third is based on responses to the institute’s Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, methods of internal communication, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts. After evaluations are completed, if news about a company comes to light that may significantly damage employees’ faith in management, it can be excluded from the list.

Any company that is at least five years old and has more than 1,000 U.S. employees is eligible.

Tags: nd business, business