Understanding Your Benefits Eligibility

At Zen, we want to support our educators both in and out of the classroom. Because our team includes a variety of roles and schedules, benefits eligibility is based on your specific employment status and the number of hours you work.

Who is Eligible?

Meeting Requirements: To receive certain benefits, you need to meet specific participation requirements for minimum number of hours worked

Need help? If you have questions about your specific eligibility, please contact Zen Support at 213 516 6054.

Your 401(k) Retirement Plan

Heading: Saving for the Future with the Zen 401(k)

Zen provides a 401(k) retirement savings plan through our partner, Betterment. This plan allows you to save for retirement on a tax-advantaged basis directly from your paycheck.

Am I Eligible?

Educators become eligible for the 401(k) plan once they meet all of the following criteria:

Age: You are at least 21 years old.
Tenure: You have been working with Zen for more than one year.
Hours: You have completed 1,000 hours of work in a single year OR 500 hours in each of two consecutive years.

To see how these thresholds work in practice, let’s look at an educator who worked 300 hours in 2024 and 850 hours in 2025.

401(k) Status: They do not qualify yet because they haven't hit 1,000 hours in a single year or 500 hours in two consecutive years (since 2024 was below 500).
Health Insurance Status: They do not qualify yet as their 2025 total is below the 1,560-hour requirement for Full-Time status.
Looking Ahead: In 2026, they can qualify for the 401(k) by reaching just 500 hours, which would complete a two-year streak (2025 and 2026) of at least 500 hours each.

How Enrollment Works

Automatic Start: Once you qualify, you will be automatically enrolled at a 3% contribution rate.
Auto-Increase: To help your savings grow, Betterment will automatically increase your contribution by 1% each year (up to a maximum of 15%).
The Welcome Email: Look for an email from Betterment on or around the 1st of the month after you become eligible.
Managing Your Account: You can opt out or change your contribution rate at any time by contacting Betterment Support at support@betterment.com .

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Heading: Health Insurance & Full-Time Status

We offer comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision packages to our most active educators who reach Full-Time Status.

Achieving Full-Time Status

You become eligible for health benefits when you have worked for Zen for at least 52 weeks AND meet one of the following:

You surpass 1,560 hours of work in your first 52 weeks; OR
You exceed 1,560 hours of work in any subsequent calendar year.

Maintaining Coverage: Once you qualify, you will keep your benefits for at least 52 weeks, even if your hours temporarily dip below the threshold. We re-assess status every calendar year.

Medical Insurance Options

We partner with Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) to offer two plan choices:

Blue Access Gold Plan: Zen pays 75% of this premium.
Blue Access Platinum Plan: If you want higher coverage, you can upgrade to this plan by paying the difference in cost.

Note: You may add a spouse or children to your policy, but the additional premium for dependents is paid in full by the employee via salary deduction.

Dental and Vision Insurance

Opt-in Coverage: Full-time educators can choose to add dental and vision coverage.
Cost: These plans are funded at the employee’s expense via pre-tax salary deductions.

Once our payroll provider marks you as a full-time employee, you will receive an email alert to set up your benefits. You will have the option to select your plans or opt out entirely.

Questions? For more details on plan specifics or coverage levels, please reach out to Zen Support.