REI Co-op makes Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list for 21st consecutive year

Co-op has been honored as one of Fortune's top employers every year in the ranking's history

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Feb 15, 2018, 12:22 ET

SEATTLE, Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 21^st consecutive year, REI was recognized as one of the nation's top employers, ranking 43 on Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list. The honor celebrates the co-op's more than 12,000 employees that work every day to connect REI members and customers with life outdoors.

Placement on the list is based on survey responses from a sampling of employees asked to rate their workplace culture. Final ranking is determined by more than 50 elements of the workplace, including trust in managers, compensation and camaraderie.

"It's an incredible honor, in our 80^th year as a co-op, that our employees feel so strongly about the work we do," said Raquel Karls, REI senior vice president of human resources. "REI's culture is built around the idea that a life outdoors is a life well lived, and our teams bring that to life every day for our millions of members in the communities across the country."

A Great Place to Work

REI is a purpose-led organization that prioritizes stewardship of the outdoors. The co-op invests 70 percent of its profits annually in the outdoor community, including 400 nonprofits that create access to the outdoors for all.

In addition, REI remains committed to caring for the long-term health of the outdoors. The co-op continues to source 100 percent renewable energy for all REI locations and operates a LEED Platinum and Net Zero Energy distribution center in Goodyear, Arizona. REI also plans to incorporate sustainable design into its new campus in Bellevue, Washington.

Employees share in the co-op's commitment to the outdoor community. According to REI's annual employee survey, 96 percent of employees fully support the co-op's values and believe REI has a great reputation for its products and services. The co-op's combined pay and benefits lead the retail industry and employees enjoy a number of unique perks:

Days off to play outside: Every year, co-op employees receive two paid "Yay Days" that allow them to enjoy their favorite outdoor activity, learn a new skill or help to maintain outdoor spaces through a stewardship project.
#OptOutside: Employees also receive an additional paid day off on Black Friday to spend time outdoors with family and friends. In 2017, thousands of employees chose to #OptOutside and more than 8 million people joined the movement.
Increased parental leave: In 2018, REI enhanced its parental leave policy so employees can continue to balance their life at home with their life at work. Parents now receive up to six weeks of paid leave when welcoming a new child into the family.
Deals on gear: REI employees enjoy deep discounts on gear and experiences making it easier for them to try new products and build expertise to share with members. Through our Challenge Grant program, 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.

Join the REI Team

As the co-op continues to grow, REI is looking to add passionate individuals to its team, including staff for its new stores opening later this year in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Cleveland. REI looks for candidates who embody its values and have a genuine love for the outdoors. Interested candidates can visit http://rei.jobs/.

About the REI Co-op

REI is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle. The nation's largest consumer co-op, REI is a growing community of more than 17 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips and outstanding customer service. REI has 151 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 more than 170 custom-designed itineraries worldwide. The REI 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 all.

About The FORTUNE 100 Best Companies To Work For®

Great Place to Work based its ranking on a data-driven methodology applied to anonymous Trust Index™ survey responses from more than 310,000 employees at Great Place to Work-Certified organizations with more than 1,000 employees. To learn more about Great Place to Work Certification and recognition on Best Workplaces lists published with FORTUNE, visit greatplacetowork.com.

About Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through its certification programs, Great Place to Work recognizes outstanding workplace cultures and produces the annual Fortune "100 Best Companies to Work For®" and Great Place to Work Best Workplaces lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity, Small & Medium Companies, industries and, internationally, countries and regions. Through its culture consulting services, Great Place to Work helps clients create great workplaces that outpace peers on key business metrics like revenue growth, profitability, retention and stock performance.

Learn more at greatplacetowork.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

SOURCE REI