Stability Period

This is the period during which employees who worked the necessary amount of hours during the measurement period, who were offered coverage, and who enrolled in coverage, will actually be covered. Even if an employee’s hours fall short of the “full-time” qualified threshold during the stability period, employers must continue to provide coverage.

Employers are only required to provide “full-time” qualified employees with coverage through the stability period. Once the stability period ends, the lookback measurement cycle restarts with a new measurement period.

The Stability Period must be between 6–12 months and must be longer than the company's Measurement Period.

Stability Period for New Hires

The Initial Stability Period begins after the Initial Measurement Period, so coverage will start on different dates depending on each employee’s hire date.

Stability Period for Ongoing Employees

The Standard Stability Period begins on a fixed date each year. In Zenefits, the stability period is set at 12 months which is the same as the measurement period.