Perks and Programs

We asked Patagonia to share a few programs they feel really capture what's unique about their workplace. Here is what they had to say.

• Let My People Go Surfing Policy: This flextime policy allows Patagonia employees the freedom to get away from their desks during the day to catch a good swell, go climbing or hiking for an afternoon, pursue and education, or get home in time to greet a child climbing down from the school bus. This informal and trust-based policy supports work-life balance and allows us to keep valuable employees who love their freedom and sports too much to settle for the constraints of a more regimented work environment.
• On-Site Childcare: Since 1984, Patagonia has provided high-quality, on-site childcare at the Ventura headquarters and recently expanded the benefit to the Reno Distribution Center. This program has a profound impact on employee retention. The turnover rate for parents who have children in the program is 25% less than the general population and we see 100% of moms return to work after having a child. Even more importantly, having children and parents in the same space allows for deeper bonds and lighter moods overall. Who can be mad over the sounds of children playing?
• Paid Environmental Internships: Within the Environmental Internship Program, employees receive full pay and benefits for up to two months while interning full-time with the non-profit, environmental group of their choice. This program lets employees maintain job security, while getting their hands dirty and boots on the ground for causes that they personally care about anywhere in the world. Through this program, employees are able to enact change, while learning new skills and supporting groups that are actively doing important work around environmental activism.
• Paid Leave: Patagonia aims to support employees and their families in the good times as well as the most challenging through generous and flexible paid leave policies. Birthing mothers receive 16 weeks of paid leave, while new fathers and adoptive mothers receive 12 weeks paid. This time does not have to be taken consecutively and instead can be scheduled over the course of a year to allow for presence during times of need or key milestones. Additionally, regular employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid leave for a personal medical condition or to take care of a sick parent, partner, or child.
• Alternative Transportation Reimbursement: All employees are eligible for the Driveless program, which reimburses up to $500 a year ($2 per trip) for using alternative transportation to get to work. Employees track their commute on an online calendar and earn a payout every quarter for biking, walking, skateboarding, carpooling, or paddling to work! Driveless also features a rideshare map, that connects local commuters so that they may carpool or bike together.
• Company Ski Trip: Each year Patagonia organizes (and partially subsidizes) an all company ski trip to Mammoth Mountain in California, conveniently central to the company's two largest locations in Ventura, CA and Reno, NV, and easily accessible for folks flying in from retail locations across the country in search of fresh powder. All employees and their families are welcome for a long weekend together on the slopes. This trip always results in great memories along with strengthened cross-functional bonds and new friendships across the company.
• Patagonia Product: Being a product-based company, there are plenty of opportunities for employees to walk away with Patagonia gear. Wearing the brand is by no means required (even in the retail stores) but through discounts, giveaways, and clothing swaps, all Patagonia employees are inevitably sure to be decked out. We attract and hire product users, outdoor enthusiasts, and core customers, so it's only natural to reward them with very easy (and inexpensive) access to product so that they can keep on doing the outdoor activities they love at the highest level!
• Environmental Grants Program: To date Patagonia has given away over $78 million to grassroots environmental organizations. Employees play a huge role in the grant process, with roughly one-third of the U.S. employee population (about 500 individuals) participating in grant-giving each year. At the larger locations in Ventura and Reno, employees take part in Grants Councils that read, discuss, and vote on various environmental grants. In the retail stores, associates carry out similar actions at a store level for grants supporting groups in their local community.
• 9/80 Work Week Schedule: At our Ventura headquarters, we have implemented a 9/80 Work Week, which means that the offices are officially closed every other Friday. This condensed schedule allows Patagonia employees to escape to the mountains, visit family, or spend quality time at home on a regular basis. We strongly believe that taking time off contributes to more engaged and productive employees. Plus, closing the offices once every other week has a significant cost and energy savings!
• Covered Health Insuance Premiums: At a time where health insurance premiums are rising for employees across the country, Patagonia continues to pay all 100% of all medical premiums for all individual full and part-time employees. There is no waiting period, these benefits start on the first day of work. From a part-time store sales associate to CEO, healthcare is funded equally and the employee can rest assured that Patagonia has their back.

How to Get Hired

We asked Patagonia for some inside information on how to get hired at the organization. Here is what they had to say.

What key characteristics tell you a prospective employee will be a great fit for your company?

We're always looking for motivated people to join us in our retail stores; at our Ventura, California headquarters; Reno, Nevada Service Center; and occasionally in our overseas offices. We're especially interested if you share our love of the outdoors, our passion for quality and our desire to make a difference.  We look for candidates who are already living our four core values: Integrity, Environmentalism, Quality, and Not Bound by Convention.

What can prospective employees do to get your attention?

We sit up and take notice when we read about any unusual combination of interests and experience that reflects a strong spirit, a curious mind, the ability to work hard in a  community atmosphere—and a bold move or two, something unexpected. A love of the outdoors and the value of wilderness, deep knowledge of our products and a desire to change business so that it better serves the planet and society: We look for those qualities too and pay heed when we see them.

Are there any positions or types of candidates you are particularly focused on hiring in this coming year?

We are in growth mode here at Patagonia. It is a really exciting time to join our company, the more we grow, the more we can use business for good. All departments will be looking for some sort of support in the coming years to help scale our business for the next generation. Hiring people with diverse backgrounds brings in flexibility of thought and openness to new ways of doing things, which will be important as we continue to build our Patagonia community.

What should interested candidates do to find out more and get started?

Besides keeping an eye on our career site, we encourage you to read Let My People Go Surfing and The Responsible Company which take deep dives into our history, values, community and plans for the future.