Eligibility Requirements

Full-Time Partners Direct Link

Full-time employees (30+ scheduled hours per week) are eligible for the full suite of benefits. See New Hire Enrollment for information on when to enroll.

Part-Time Partners Direct Link

With the exception of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), newly hired part-time partners are not eligible for Petco benefits. However, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), employers are required to offer employees the opportunity to enroll in benefits if they meet certain qualifications.

Initial Measurement Period (IMP) – The IMP begins on a new hire’s first day of employment and ends on their first anniversary date. If a part-time partner has worked an average of at least 30 hours per week during their first year of employment, they will be offered the opportunity to enroll in benefits at that time. To retain eligibility for benefits, part-time partners must continue to work an average of 30 hours per week over each subsequent Standard Measurement Period.

Standard Measurement Period (SMP) – Petco’s SMP begins on November 15 of each year and ends on November 14 of the following year. The SMP applies to part-time partners after their first year of employment. Under the SMP, a part-time partner must work an average of 30 hours per week during the SMP to be offered the opportunity to enroll in benefits for the next plan year (February 1 – January 31).

  • Once you become eligible under the SMP, you retain eligibility through the next plan year (February 1 – January 31).
  • Each year you must work an average of 30 hours per week to be offered the chance to enroll in benefits for the upcoming plan year.

If your employment status changes to full-time and you are not already eligible under IMP or SMP, you will become eligible for benefits the first of the month following 30 days from the effective date of the change.

Eligible Dependents Direct Link

Your eligible dependents include:

  • Legal spouse
  • Domestic partner (same-sex or opposite-sex) – A Domestic Partner Affidavit is required to cover your partner. See more information about Domestic Partner coverage, qualifications and tax implications in the dropdown below.
  • Children under age 26 or disabled
  • Child of Domestic Partner
  • Dependent children incapable of self-support due to mental or physical disability, if the child becomes disabled prior to reaching age 26

Your eligible children include:

  • Natural born children
  • Stepchildren, legally adopted children or children for whom you have been appointed legal guardianship by a court of law
  • Children for whom the Plan has received a qualified domestic child support order

* For voluntary child life and family coverage under voluntary AD&D, children are eligible up to age 19, or age 26 if a full-time student.

Dependent Verification Process

Petco reserves the right to audit dependent elections to ensure they abide by plan rules. New Dependents will be required to have dependent verification documents submitted and approved in order for the dependent to be covered. Documentation must be submitted within 30-days of the Qualified Life Event (QLE) or Newly Eligible Enrollment. Exact details of the required documentation will be provided to you by Alight benefits enrollment portal when you add a new dependent.

Eligible Documents:

  • Spouse – Government Issued Marriage Certificate, Tax return within the last 2 years
  • Domestic Partner – Domestic Partnership Affidavit
  • Child – Government Issued Birth Certificate, Adoption Certificate, Court Document

Domestic Partner Coverage, Qualifications and Tax Implications Direct Link

Domestic Partner Coverage

Coverage for domestic partners will be available for medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and accident insurance benefits and includes the same and opposite sex partners of active, unmarried Petco employees. Children of enrolled domestic partners may also be eligible to enroll only if Domestic Partner (parent) is enrolled.

Domestic Partner Qualifications

The Company defines a domestic partner as a relationship between two people (same- or opposite-sex) who meet all of the following criteria:

  • Each of you is of legal age (at least 18 years of age or older), mentally competent to enter into contracts and a legal U.S. resident
  • You have joint responsibility for each other’s welfare and share living/household/financial obligations
  • You have resided in the same household with each other for more than 12 months and are continuing to reside in the same household together.
  • You have had an intimate, committed relationship for more than 12 months, intend to do so indefinitely and have no such relationship with any other person.
  • You are not related by blood to your partner to a degree of kinship that would prevent a marriage between you from being recognized under the law of the state in which you reside
  • Neither of you is married to any third party

Domestic Partner Tax Implications

Enrolling a Domestic Partner and/or your Domestic Partner's child(ren) can affect your taxable income. Unless your Domestic Partner or his/her child(ren) are considered to be tax dependents under IRS rules, the value of any Petco benefit contributions for benefits coverage for such persons will be treated as "imputed income" (meaning the value will be shown on your pay stub as taxable income even though you don't receive actual dollars in your paycheck). Imputed income is subject to federal and state income taxes, Social Security and Medicare taxes, and any other required payroll tax. This means you'll pay the applicable federal, FICA, state, local and any other applicable payroll taxes on the imputed amount (which will be shown on your pay stubs) throughout the year and included on your W-2 Form at the end of each year.

When Coverage Begins Direct Link

See New Hire Enrollment page for information on when coverage begins.

When Coverage Ends / Transition Full-Time to Part-Time Direct Link

Your Petco benefits coverage will end on your last day of employment or the date you become ineligible for a benefit.

You may be eligible to continue coverage under COBRA for medical, dental and vision coverage. If applicable, you have 60 days from the date on your COBRA election notice or from the loss of coverage date, whichever is later, to select coverage through COBRA.

Full-Time to Part-Time

If you experience a change in full-time status, you have 30-days from your part-time effective date to drop any benefits you do not want to continue, otherwise they will continue until the end of the plan year. To cancel benefits, call Petco’s benefits service center, Alight at 855-722-0241 to speak to a benefit counselor Mon.-Fri., 8 am to 8 pm EST.