REI Co-op Makes Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® List for 20th Consecutive Year

Outdoor co-op is one of 12 companies to be included on annual top employer list since 1998

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Mar 09, 2017, 09:52 ET

SEATTLE, March 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 20^th consecutive year, REI employees earned the co-op a spot on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list, according to global research and consulting firm Great Place to Work® and Fortune magazine. REI is ranked number 28 and is one of 12 companies to be included since the annual list began in 1998. This year, the co-op is one of four companies headquartered in Washington state to be recognized on the top employer list.

"This is an amazing honor and we are all very proud to be recognized for 20 straight years. Our placement on this list for the past two decades is a reflection of our employees throughout the country, so I want to thank all of them for making REI a great place to work," said Jerry Stritzke, REI CEO and president. "At REI, we put our purpose above profits and I think that's a huge reason why people love working here, stay here for a long time and do such great, impactful work. Our employees have had a passion for the outdoors since our founding in 1938, and that passion continues to unite and inspire us, giving each of us a strong sense of what matters most, no matter where we live or work."

A Great Place to Work
The co-op's more than 12,000 employees make REI a great place to work by being highly engaged with and committed to serving the outdoor community. Engagement scores routinely exceed 85 percent. Fully 93 percent of co-op employees believe in REI's vision, based on the results of the Trust Index, a survey sent by the Great Places to Work Institute to a random sample of REI employees. REI's combined pay and benefits lead the industry, and retail turnover is almost half the industry standard and retention of full-time employees is 90 percent.

REI is a purpose-led organization that prioritizes stewarding the outdoors and sustainability. Eighty-seven percent of all employees said in a recent survey they believe that REI is an environmentally responsible company, citing actions such as the co-op's new LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy distribution center, nearly flat energy use (+4.2%) since 2008 even though sales grew by nearly 70 percent, and the use of 100 percent renewable energy at all REI locations.

More than a Job: Joining the Co-op Community
REI looks for people who love the outdoors and want to align their skills and experience with the co-op's core values: authenticity, quality, service, respect, integrity and balance. REI is currently seeking applicants for a number of positions at its headquarters, including information technology and merchandising roles. The retail team is looking to fill positions for at many locations, including new stores opening later this year. Interested candidates can visit http://rei.jobs/.

REI offers a number of unique perks and programs designed to help employees lead balanced lives and enjoy the outdoors:

Pay to go outdoors: Every single co-op employee receives paid time off to go outside and play—two Yay Days a year where they can participate in a favorite activity, learn something new or help create inspirational places through an outdoor stewardship project.
#OptOutside: Employees also receive an additional paid day off on Black Friday to spend time outdoors with family and friends. In 2016, thousands of employees chose to #OptOutside and more than 6 million people and more than 700 organizations joined the movement.
Commuting support: REI provides showers, towels, lockers and bicycle storage to commuters at most locations nationwide. The co-op also offers a 50% pre-tax subsidy on public transit expenses, parking subsidy and subsidized vanpooling and ride-sharing options.
Deals on gear: REI has discount programs for the gear sold in stores, making it easier for employees to try new gear and build experience to share with members. Employees can also receive up to $300 in REI private brands products for any outdoor activity, as long as it's deemed a challenge for them.
Health and well-being: REI offers a benefit package to full- and part-time employees that covers the majority of medical plan costs and the full cost for basic life and disability coverage for employees averaging 20 hours or more per week.

About REI
REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 6 million active members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. REI has 147 stores in 36 states. If you can't visit a store, you can shop at REI.com, REI.com/REI-Garage or the free REI shopping app. REI isn't just about gear. You can take the trip of a lifetime with REI Adventures, a global leader in active adventure travel that runs 170 custom-designed itineraries on every continent. REI's Outdoor School is run by professionally-trained, expert-instructors who teach beginner- to advanced-level courses about a wide range of activities. To build on the infrastructure that makes life outside possible, REI invests millions annually in hundreds of local and national nonprofits that create access to–and steward–the outdoor places that inspire us.

About The Fortune 100 Best Companies To Work For®
To identify the 100 Best Companies to Work For®, each year Fortune partners with Great Place to Work to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. The ranking is based on feedback from more than 276,000 employees at Great Place to Work–Certified™ companies with more than 1,000 employees.

Winning a spot on this list indicates the company has distinguished itself from peers by creating a great place to work for employees – measured and ranked through our analysis of the results of our Trust Index© survey and Culture Audit© questionnaire.

Through the Trust Index©, employees anonymously assess their workplace, including the honesty and quality of communication by managers, degree of support for employees' personal and professional lives and the authenticity of relationships with colleagues. Results from the survey are highly reliable, having a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 5% or less. Companies' results on the Trust Index© survey are compared to peer organizations of like size and complexity. The Culture Audit© includes detailed questions about benefits, programs and practices. To be considered for our Best Workplaces lists, companies must become Great Place to Work-Certified™. Details are available at https://www.greatplacetowork.com/certification

About Great Place to Work®
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and a series of Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small and Medium Companies and over a half dozen different industries. Great Place to Work provides executive advisory and culture consulting services to businesses, non-profits, and government agencies in over 50 countries across six continents.

SOURCE REI