The dates give your human resources department time to process and review employee elections and send them to the benefits providers. Mistakes happen -- and it happens more than it probably should when people are choosing health insurance. Heres what you need to do to get and early start: [Instructions]. It often brings many questions and can be stressful on both sides of the communication flow. Employees who experience qualifying life-changing events (such as getting married, divorced or legally separated, having or adopting a child, or moving to a new residence or work location that affects benefits eligibility) are eligible to enroll in or make changes to their benefits elections outside of the open enrollment period. If you miss the open enrollment period, you won't be able to enroll in a plan unless you have a qualifying event (such as getting married, having a baby or losing employer-sponsored coverage). In fact, the terms of your benefits plans may prohibit you from making exceptions for employees who do not make benefits elections within a certain time period, such as before the new plan year begins. Therefore, your open enrollment for the new year will take place in October. And because theres a limited amount of time to make these important decisions, it can be a confusing (and often overwhelming) experience for employers and employees alike. She and her team will provide the district with monthly billing services. Karen Frost, health strategy and solutions leader at Alight Solutions, a benefit administration company, offered these pointers to HR benefit managers for open enrollment and throughout the year: Employers Enhance Emotional and Mental Health Benefits for 2020, For an employee, missing this vital deadline can mean losing coverage, or being unable to change benefits elections, which can have a significant financial impact on the employee. If youre truly invested in helping your employees not only plan for retirement, but also create savings and dig out of debt, offer education in the moments that matter: Reiterate your 401K messaging whenever employees get a raise, bonus, or promotion. But it will show that you have their best interests in mindwhich, when it comes to creating change, is half the battle. But why stop there? Coby joined FBS in 2007 as a Benefit Consultant and then rose to Vice President of Sales in 2013. Your teams should start strategizing well before the announcement for open enrollment. Changes in employment - this can mean starting a new job, quitting, or a transition from part-time to full-time work status. How to Draft a Open Enrollment Email to Employees (With Template) Bretton is an aPHR-certified member of the Marketing Team at Bernard Health. Attached is a flier with more details but please reply here and let us know if you have questions! Think about it your employees are a unique set of people with their own needs, life circumstances and goals. Demonstrating to your employees that their needs are important to you will instill high employee morale, and ensuring that you have done all that you were required to do in regards to ACA regulations will protect your business in the event that an employee misses the open enrollment deadline. This is the time for you to [Instructions], Were excited to bring you [Detail plan options and info]. And there is a tool that can make that happen. If youre offering new plans, however, passive enrollment isnt an option, so allow additional time and resources to communicate and follow up with employees. *All Shipping prices displayed are for the lower 48 states only. (Or in the event of very rare circumstances, such as a legitimate error in which your administrator may or may not be able to allow you to fix). How to Draft a Open Enrollment Email to Employees (With Template). Between having multiple options, confusing plan descriptions, debating voluntary benefits and tight open enrollment deadlines, it's pretty easy to see how things might get confused. Were two weeks from open enrollment. A special enrollment period is a designated time outside of the standard open enrollment period for employees to change or update their insurance plan elections that are granted when the employee experiences a qualifying life event. Reach out to our team any time to chat! (For context, the average 401K contribution in 2020 was 13.5%. This can cause important ones like open enrollment to fall through the cracks or simply be skimmed so they can move on to the next thing. 75082. FBS Blog Dear Employee, The School District's Health Insurance open enrollment period for the INSERT year will begin on INSERT DATE. They influence President Biden signed the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act into law on December 29, 2022 BerniePortal is the all-in-one HR software solution at a fair price, so HR can focus on providing a good place to work. Putting money away for your retirement is important, but how important depends on the financial boat youre in. Also, remember the source of information. Section 125 plans are used by most employers that offer health coverage, as they are the mechanism that allows . He writes about HR, compliance, and benefits solutions. To apply for benefits and verify eligibility, individuals should complete the online screener application. You can purchase coverage through the marketplace, but you wouldn't be eligible for any subsidy or anything (sounds like you make too much to qualify anyway). Now What? All you have to do to make changes to your benefits is to log into the online portal and make any changes. It is in your best interest to create simple and comprehensive policies and procedures so that you are prepared in the event of a SEP. Close the email out by reminding employees of the importance of benefits enrollment. Sample 401K Communication to Employees. (Feel free to copy-pastewe won't tell.) Keep in mind, though, that employees must make changes to their flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts each year. 2175 N. Glenville Drive About Us He currently serves as the benefit consultant for 15 of the 20 Educational Service Centers in the State of Texas. Financial Services Agreement Missing open enrollment means limited options, but here a few situations to consider: If an employee misses open enrollment, its important that HR first respond with empathy and understanding. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am aBrokerCarrierEmployerCOBRA Participant. Sample 1: Excuse letter for work absence due to family matters. The open enrollment announcement email should go out two weeks before your benefits packages are made available to employees. Common qualifying life events include: Changes in marital status . In your hook, you want to get employees ready for open enrollment. Individuals who are below the income thresholds set by the government's programs can apply for coverage any time of year. Employees digest information in different ways. How Can HR Help an Employee Who Misses Open Enrollment? The date coverage starts depends on when you lose coverage and the date a plan is selected. What Happens If an Employee Misses Open Enrollment? HR teams can send additional reminders to those employees and follow up with them individually so they dont miss the deadline. 401Ks, IRAs, compounding interest, employer matching its enough to make the average employees head spin. The first step in achieving this is to provide as much information as possible in many different forms, such as flyers, posters, emails and videos. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. Open enrollment begins one month from now, beginning [DATE] until [DATE]. What Happens if an Employee Misses Open Enrollment? Specifically, 29 CFR 2590.701-6, and in permitted election changes for Section 125 plans ( 26 CFR 1.125-4 ). We also keep your employer insurance premium costs in check so that your company has protection without placing undue stress on your budget. Sample 2: Excuse email for work absence due to sickness. Make it easy on you and your team by taking advantage of our action plan and timeline. Information sessions and benefits fairs are among other steps to ensure every employee can decide their health benefits. This e-mail is the first step of a three-part process. To learn more, schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable business advisors. Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. Remember, this is a guide to get you thinking about your message to employees. , G&A Partners. Despite your own best efforts to communicate important information and deadlines, you may have employees who dont successfully enroll on time. 12 Encouraging Messages to Share After a Job Loss | Cake Blog For that time frame, announcements would go out in the middle of September. Offer health, dental, vision and more to recruit & retain employees. Open enrollment is a predetermined time frame employers establish for making changes to health care plans and benefits. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); Please review the information . Paychex was founded over four decades ago to relieve the complexity of running a business and make our clients' lives easier, so they can focus on what matters most. Your friend isn't necessarily looking to get placated when they give you the bad news, and they may not have prepared for the adversity. Your employer is not legally obligated to allow you to make changes to your elections after the open enrollment period has ended. Get Your Free Sample Open Enrollment Letter - Paycor If the employee does not make an election in the required time frame the Plan Document calls for a default position to take effect in lieu of the election. Its their opportunity to enroll or make changes to their employee benefits. Here are the key components of the email. Paychex tiene el compromiso de brindar recursos para la comunidad hispanohablante. Open enrollment consumes a large amount of HR's time and energy, making it nearly impossible to forget about. Relocation - Moving won't always affect your eligibility, but sometimes moving to a new home address or a new work site can, especially if it's in a new state with different regulations. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. If you're married, discuss your elections with your spouse to ensure that the whole family is on the same page for the upcoming benefit year. Its equally important to understand why they missed the deadline and help them avoid the same mistake in the future. "I'm sorry to hear you lost your job. If appropriate coverage is offered to employees (regardless of whether they enroll) these employers will not be subject to the penalty. Bookmark () Riia O'Donnell on Nov 27, 2018 Regardless of the reason, this common situation can result in added financial burden on the employee, additional missed days at work due to lack of proper health coverage, and frustration for both employee and employer. Employees who experience qualifying life-changing events (such as getting married, divorced or legally separated, having or adopting a child, or moving to a new residence or work location that affects benefits eligibility) are eligible to enroll in or make changes to their benefits elections outside of the open enrollment period. Surveying your employees will help you clarify their benefits options and the open enrollment process, and it can demonstrate that you are willing to set aside time to help answer employee questionspotentially reducing the number of employees that miss open enrollment. Why? But if youre looking to get started now, you can still significantly improve the usefulness of your 401K communications by highlighting a few different employee personas, and giving financial advice for each one. Special Enrollment Periods for Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Stacia has been with Financial Benefit Services since 2014 bringing with her 5 years in insurance billing and accounting and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UT Dallas. A sample of the email notification from HR Leave Administration is also attached. Learn how ALEX makes benefits engagement a breeze for HR teams and consultants. (800) 583-6908 Unless youre a financial expert or HR professional, figuring out retirement plans is no walk in the park. Well, in an ideal world, youd be able to pair up every one of your employees with a savvy and charming financial guru who could look at their unique financial situation, and give tailored recommendations on how they should be spending their free dollarsi.e. Employees who experience qualifying life-changing events (such as getting married, divorced or legally separated, having or adopting a child, or moving to a new residence or work location that affects benefits eligibility) are eligible to enroll in or make changes to their benefits elections outside of the open enrollment period. Format for absence excuse letter. Other qualifying life events that would make an employee eligible for SEP can include: If an employee experiences a decrease in income, they may be eligible to apply for health coverage through the government's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The ConnectorCare program in Massachusetts (for people who are newly eligible or who haven't enrolled before). Has my employer made changes to its current benefits plan? Therefore, its important employers be proactive in their approach to open enrollment. Youcouldadd the examples above into your general 401K messaging and call it a day. We are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. The IRS and FSA administrators understand that life changes and that you may need to make adjustments to your elections to accommodate for those changes. Now What? The call-to-action lets them know the open enrollment date, where they can find information, and when enrollment packets will become available. Some states, however, do have penalties for individuals without minimum essential coverage. If the employer gave proper notice to employees communicating open enrollment deadlines, there is very little that can be done legally to help the employee after the fact, so a proactive approach and providing detailed information before and during open enrollment works best. I missed open enrollment for my insurance and now I need to - Workest Subject Line: Lets Talk Benefits! Writing a Good Job Rejection Letter. These include: Since there is little wiggle room with open enrollment deadlines, employers should focus on preventing employees from missing the annual deadline. Surveying your employees will help you clarify benefits options and the open enrollment process, demonstrate your willingness to set aside time to help answer their questions, and potentially reduce the number of employees that miss open enrollment. Notice to All Employees - Annual Open Enrollment Period Gain the intel you need now to successfully anticipate and navigate employment laws, stay compliant and mitigate legal risks. Making your employees aware of these tools doesnt guarantee theyll use them, of course. The IRS and FSA administrators understand that life changes and that you may need to make adjustments to your elections to accommodate for those changes. It is typically the only time during the year in which employees can make changes to their benefits choices, such as adding or dropping coverage, adding or dropping dependents, or enrolling in benefits for the first time. Missing open enrollment can be a costly mistake for employees, so employers should take adequate steps to help their employees through the enrollment process. Sample 3: Letter of permission for missing work due to an important matter. HR reps, the AICPA advised, could share this message with employees: "By just staying the course without reviewing all the options available, you could be missing crucial opportunities to saveor worse, choose a plan that doesn't properly cover your family's health care needs. When writing an open enrollment letter, here are 5 things you should include: Timing: Open enrollment periods are often only a few weeks long. The opening of the email starts with a bold header letting employees know its time for open enrollment. If the open enrollment dates are Nov. 15 through Dec. 15, consider giving your employees a deadline of Dec. 5, suggests Starr Harry, client success manager at G&A. In reviewing the following information, you are taking the first step toward securing your. You can stay informed, educated, and up-to-date with open enrollment, benefits administration, and other important topics using BerniePortals comprehensive resources: Crafting and following a comprehensive onboarding checklist ensures a consistent, As the cost of living continues to rise around the country, many employeesespecially HR professionals play an indispensable role within an organization. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. Bretton Chatham The benefits open enrollment period is typically the only point during the year in which your employees can make changes to their benefit electionsincluding adding or dropping coverage or dependents, switching plans, or even enrolling in benefits for the first time.