SAM Magazine—Granby, Colo., Sept. 13, 2024—Indy Pass is offering a new employee pass program that the company said is designed to help its partner ski areas recruit seasonal staff and retain year-round employees. Like the consumer Indy Pass product, employees at Indy Pass partner ski areas that opt-in to the program can redeem two days of skiing/riding at all other participating Indy ski areas. 

Traditionally, independent ski areas have only offered their employees a season pass at their home resort, but more recently there has been a growing trend to add reciprocal ski privileges for employees at otherwise unaffiliated ski areas. The Freedom Pass, for example, provides free ski privileges for employees at its partner ski areas. Indy’s pass program promises to streamline the addition of employee ski privileges among more than 200 ski areas.

Indy Pass said the usage will be tracked. A report detailing the date and location of employee pass usage will be available at the end of the season.

“If a person leaves your employment, we can cancel their pass with your authorization,” wrote Indy Pass founder Doug Fish in an email sent to partner ski areas. “Your staff will have access to 200-plus Indy Pass resorts worldwide, including many that stay open well into spring, we are excited about this game-changing program, which will help you compete with the conglomerates for hard-to-find staff.”

Ski areas that join the program will receive permission codes that they can share with as many employees as they wish. Employees will need to open an account with Indy Pass, pay a $25 administration fee, and upload a photo of their most recent pay stub. Ski areas have the option of paying the $25 fee for their employees.

Participating ski areas can set their own blackout restrictions on the employee pass, but there is no payout for employee pass visits. 

“I think it offers some incentive and will draw folks in for employment, especially at some of the smaller properties,” said Granite Peak, Wis., general manager Greg Fisher. “I’ve always been a big fan of having employees visit other resorts. There are so many people and places that do such cool things in our industry—this gives employees an opportunity to see how others operate as well."