REI Will Not Give Employees Extra Time Off to Vote This Election

REI is reversing course on some prior measures that encourage employees to vote in U.S. elections.

The outdoor co-op told FN in a statement that it will not offer additional time off for employees to cast their votes in the U.S. presidential election this year. Instead, the retailer said it will help employees and managers understand the best ways to use existing local, state and time-off benefits.

In November of 2022, REI delayed the opening of its stores by two hours this to give every employee paid time off to vote in the midterms. And in 2020, REI encouraged workers to use its “Co-op way Days” — or paid time off for community service, advocacy, civil participation and volunteer activities — to vote in the presidential election without taking personal time off.

“In most states where our employees live, flexible options like absentee, vote-by-mail, and early voting allow ballots to be cast around work schedules,” the co-op said in a statement. “To further support participation, the co-op has created an internal hub with non-partisan resources to help employees confidently navigate the voting process.”

REI added that it encourages its 15,000 employees and 24 million members to vote.

Other retailers have recently announced measures to encourage employees and consumers to vote this election. Patagonia, which has over 2,000 employees in the U.S., said it would close its stores, warehouse and offices on Oct. 29, 2024, on national Vote Early Day so that its associates can participate in this year’s election. According to the company, it has been asking its community to vote the planet since the 1970s, and it has given employees Election Day off in the United States since 2016. And last week, The Athlete’s Foot (TAF) launched “Be About That Vote,” a new campaign to help get out the vote to its consumers.