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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. 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.

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

Employees who elect coverage for themselves and their dependents prior to March 20, 2026:

  • Mid-March 2026, Verifi1 will mail a physical letter to your home with step-by-step instructions.
  • Required documentation can be uploaded to the Verifi1 portal or submitted by mail or fax.
  • Documentation must be submitted no later than May 15, 2026.
  • Failure to respond to this request for documentation by May 15, 2026, will result in the removal of your dependents from REI sponsored health care coverage as of June, 30, 2026.
  • If it is determined that a dependent does not meet the eligibility requirements as defined by our plan, the dependent will be removed from REI sponsored health care coverage plan as of June 30, 2026.
  • COBRA coverage will not be offered to dependents who are removed from coverage, as they have been determined ineligible under the terms of the plan.
  • Dependent audit results may impact your dependent(s) enrollment in Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits.

Employees who elect coverage for themselves and their dependents on or after March 20, 2026:

  • Verifi1 will mail a physical letter to your home with step-by-step instructions.
  • Required documentation can be uploaded to the Verifi1 portal or submitted by mail or fax.
  • The phase during which you will be required to provide documentation will last 30 days.
  • Failure to respond to this request within the given time frame will result in the removal of your dependent(s) from REI sponsored health care coverage.
  • If it is determined that a dependent does not meet the eligibility requirements as defined by our plan, the dependent(s) will be removed from the REI sponsored health care coverage.
  • The benefit drop date will be the end of the month following the 45-day verification period.
  • COBRA coverage will not be offered to dependents who are removed from coverage, as they have been determined ineligible under the terms of the plan.
  • Dependent audit results may impact your dependent(s) enrollment in Medical, Dental and Vision benefits.

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

There will be a dedicated REI/Verifi1 website. Employees will be able to access this website as soon as they receive their initial letter from Verifi1 containing their user ID. This website will provide step by step instructions on the process as well as visibility to their dependent(s) status.

If you can’t find the information you need to complete the process, please call the Verifi1 customer service line 1-855-486-2472 between 8 AM and 8 PM ET Monday through Friday.  

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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