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Access and San Francisco Plan

Benefits Eligibility

Full-Time Benefits Eligibility

If you’re a regular full-time employee, you will be eligible for the REI Full Benefits Plan on the first of the month following your date of hire or on your date of hire (if hired on the first of the month).

 

Part-Time Benefits Eligibility

Employees with a hire date on or after December 2, 2025

REI Full Benefits Plan: Your eligibility is determined by your average hours over an evaluation period. You will be eligible for the REI Full Benefits Plan if you average 23 or more hours per week over the course of a 12-month evaluation period. Once eligible, you will receive coverage for 12 months.

Your hours are evaluated every year so that hours worked during busier times are included in your evaluation period. This helps minimize the seasonal impact of hours on your benefits eligibility. If you average 23 hours or more per week each year during the evaluation period, you will be eligible for 12 months of REI Full Benefits. If you average below 23 hours per week when your evaluation period ends, you have the option to enroll in the REI Options Plan or enroll in coverage through the marketplace.

 

Employees with a hire date on or before December 1, 2025

REI Full Benefits Plan: Your eligibility is determined by your average hours over an evaluation period. For eligiblity for the 2026 benefit plan year, which runs from January to December, eligibility is determined if you average 20 or more hours per week over the course of a 12-month evaluation period. Once eligible, you will receive coverage for 12 months.

For the 2027 plan year, your eligiblity will be based on an average of 23 hours per week over the course of a 12-month evaluation period.

Your hours are evaluated every year so that hours worked during busier times are included in your evaluation period. This helps minimize the seasonal impact of hours on your benefits eligibility. If you average 20 hours or more per week each year during the evaluation period, you will be eligible for 12 months of Full Benefits. If you average below 20 hours per week when your evaluation period ends, you have the choice to enroll in the REI Options Plan or enroll in coverage through the marketplace.

Part-Time Benefits Eligibility

REI Options Plan

You’re eligible the first of the month following 60 days of employment with REI. You’ll be able to choose from three fixed-payment plans for specific health care services, such as limited doctor visits, hospital stays, or preventive care.

Full Benefits Plan

Employees with a hire date on or after December 2, 2025

Your eligibility is determined by your average hours over an evaluation period. You will be eligible for the REI Full Benefits Plan if you average 23 or more hours per week over the course of a 12-month evaluation period. Once eligible, you will receive coverage for 12 months.

Your hours are evaluated every year so that hours worked during busier times are included in your evaluation period. This helps minimize the seasonal impact of hours on your benefits eligibility. If you average 23 hours or more per week each year during the evaluation period, you will be eligible for 12 months for the Full Benefits Plan. If you average below 23 hours per week when your evaluation period ends, you have the choice to enroll in the REI Options Plan or enroll in coverage through the marketplace.

Employees with a hire date on or before December 1, 2025

Your eligibility is determined by your average hours over an evaluation period. You will be eligible for the Full Benefits Plan if you average 20 or more hours per week over the course of a 12-month evaluation period. Once eligible, you will receive coverage for 12 months.

Your hours are evaluated every year so that hours worked during busier times are included in your evaluation period. This helps minimize the seasonal impact of hours on your benefits eligibility. If you average 20 hours or more per week each year during the evaluation period, you will be eligible for 12 months of Full Benefits. If you average below 20 hours per week when your evaluation period ends, you have the choice to enroll in the REI Options Plan or enroll in coverage through the marketplace.

REI Full Benefits Plan Eligibility Estimator Tool

Use the REI Full Benefits Plan Eligibility Estimator Tool to find out your eligibility status based on your hire date. 

Use the tool

Average Weekly Hours and How It’s Used

AWH is hours tracked over a defined 12-month evaluation period to determine eligibity for the Full Benefits Plan for part-time employees. AWH is also used to determine leave of absence and sabbatical pay. AWH provides a reliable snapshot of an employee’s average hours and is updated every pay period.

View your AWH in Employee Self Service (ESS) by going to Menu > Myself > Personal > Status/key dates.

Managers can view Employee AWH by going to Menu > My team > My employees > Search > Personal > Status/key dates.

An evaluation period is a defined 12-month period during which hours are tracked to determine benefits eligibility for the Full Benefits Plan for part-time employees. An employee’s evaluation of hours is determined based on how long an employee has been with REI:

  • Initial Evaluation Period: Corresponds with an employee’s date of hire (or rehire date if the employee has been separated from REI for more than three months). For example, if an employee was hired/rehired on January 5, 2026, they will have an initial evaluation period between February 1, 2026–January 31, 2027. Typically, employees will only have one initial evaluation period, which will catch them up to the ongoing evaluation period that is reviewed in October of each year.
  • Ongoing Evaluation Period: Always occurs from October 4–October 3 of each year and applies to employees who have been with REI longer than 12 months.

Who Is Eligible for Coverage?

Spouse

If you are eligible for REI Plan benefits, your same- or opposite-sex spouse is also eligible.

If covering a spouse, please review the tax considerations and spousal surcharge information below.

Life Partner

If you are in a committed relationship with a life partner and your relationship meets the specific requirements spelled out in the REI Life Partner Affidavit, your partner is eligible for most REI Plan benefits.*

If you are enrolling a life partner and you live in a state that requires a domestic partner filing, you must complete the REI Life Partner Affidavit or present proof to REI Human Resources of your domestic partner filing with the state. For information about state requirements and REI proof of registration, or to get a copy of state Domestic Partnership forms:

  • Visit REI’s Benefit Enrollment System.
  • Contact the Employee Service Center at 1-800-999-4734 or hrhr@rei.com.

If covering a life partner, please review the tax considerations and spousal surcharge information below.

Child(ren)

Your children are eligible for the REI Benefits Plan if they:

  • Are your biological, step or adopted children related to you by blood or marriage/life partnership, or children for whom the courts have given you, your spouse or your life partner rights, duties and obligations similar to those of a parent. This may include, but is not limited to, an award of legal custody or legal guardianship.
  • Are under age 26, or any age if they are incapable of self-support due to disability, provided the disability began before age 26.

You can enroll your life partner’s child if:

  • The child lives in your home, your life partner has residential custody of the child and the child meets the age limitations of the plan.

*Refer to the Summary Plan Description for a full list of requirements.

NEW! Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV)

As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring compliance with health plan rules for our medical, dental, and vision benefits, REI will be conducting a Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) process. This process will be completed in partnership with Verifi1, a trusted third-party administrator.

What Is the DEV Process?

The DEV process is a thorough review of dependents currently enrolled in our health care plan. Its purpose is to confirm that all dependents meet the eligibility requirements as defined by our plan. This routine process helps us manage your benefits appropriately and consistently across our employee population. If you are enrolled in health coverage for a dependent (spouse, life partner, or child), you will be required to verify that your enrolled dependents meet eligibility rules under REI’s health plan. This process will be managed by our third-party vendor, Verifi1.

What to Expect

  • Initial Communication: Verifi1 will mail a letter to your home by mid-February. This letter will outline the dependent verification process and specify actions you need to take.
  • Documentation Submission: Verifi1 will provide specific instructions in the letter and will include details about documents needed by the submission deadline of April 17, 2026.
  • Process Conclusion: Verifi1 will receive the documents you submit to determine if your dependents meet the eligibility rules of the REI health care plan. If you do not provide documentation or if your dependents do not meet the eligibility requirements, they will be dropped from coverage effective May 31, 2026.

Examples of Acceptable Documentation

(This is not a complete list. A full list will be included in Verifi1’s communication.)

  • Spouse or Life Partner: Two documents are required (e.g., marriage certificate, domestic partner or common-law affidavit, civil union documentation, plus one additional joint document). Documents must be current, include both names and your address, and be on official letterhead.
  • Child(ren): Birth certificate, adoption papers, foster care documentation, or court-approved support orders.

Your Privacy Matters

Protecting your personal information is of utmost importance to us. Any documents or information you submit as part of this process will be transmitted securely and handled according to REI’s and Verifi1’s strict data protection and confidentiality standards. Documents will only be accepted through Verifi1’s secure web portal, by mail or fax directly to Verifi1.

Contacting Verifi1

Prior to the verification process launching in February, you may contact Verifi1 at 855-486-2472 with general questions, such as confirming acceptable documentation requirements for your dependents. Please note that Verifi1 does not have access to individual employee information at this time. In February, we’ll share a dedicated company/Verifi1 website where you can view your dependent(s) status and find step-by-step instructions, including any additional options for completing the verification process. This website will also be included in the letter sent to you from Verifi1.

For additional details and answers to frequently asked questions, click here.

  • Your spouse’s (and eligible stepchildren’s) health benefits will no longer be taxed (imputed income) for federal tax purposes.
  • Your spouse’s (and eligible stepchildren’s) health benefits may no longer be taxed (imputed income) for state income tax purposes. Please note that tax rules vary by state.
  • The cost of coverage for your life partner’s health care coverage is considered income when calculating federal, state (if applicable), Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes.
  • You cannot claim life partner expenses under your FSA or HSA unless he or she is a tax dependent. See the Summary Plan Description for more details.

Spousal Surcharge

If your spouse/life partner is offered medical coverage through his or her employer but is not enrolled, and you enroll him or her in an REI medical plan, you will pay a surcharge of approximately $100 per month ($46.15 per pay period). If your spouse/life partner is an REI employee, you do not have to pay this surcharge if you enroll him or her in the REI Benefits Plan.

If you and your spouse/life partner are both REI employees:

  • Each of you may be covered only once—either as an employee or the spouse/life partner of an employee; and
  • You and your spouse/life partner may enroll your dependent children only once, either as your dependents or your spouse/life partner’s dependents.
REI Employee Service Center

Employee Service Center

1-800-999-4734

hrhr@rei.com

Verifi1

Dependent Eligibility Verification

Customer Service Line: 1-855-486-2472
Monday through Friday 8 AM–8 PM ET

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