Communicating potential consequences to employees will encourage them to take the open enrollment deadline more seriously. 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. Copyright 2023 The Regents of the University of California. 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. Category. Remember, this is a guide to get you thinking about your message to employees. "There are many factors, both in a benefits plan and in one's personal life, that can change every year. When employees miss open enrollment and lose health coverage, this can add financial and emotional burdens that may affect their health, well-being, and productivity at work. Have questions about managing your own 401K? Depending on who the healthcare plan provider is, there may be contractual agreements that do not allow for enrollment . 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). COBRA Continuation Coverage | U.S. Department of Labor - DOL Emails are essential for company-wide communication because every employee gets assigned a company email when hired. Depending on your circumstances, your opportunities to enroll after the end of the annual open enrollment period may be limited. At this point, there is not much more that you can do for him or her unless he or she qualifies for an SEP. 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. Keep your health in check Mr. James holds many different licenses in the insurance industry including the Insurance Counselors License through the Texas Department of Insurance. 1 NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES - 2020 ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR OPTION CHANGES IN HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN COVERAGE. The information may not reflect the most current legal developments, may be changed without notice and is not guaranteed to be complete, correct, or up-to-date. is a benefits enrollment strategy that employers use to simplify the process and maintain benefits participation. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); If you have questions please send to [email] or attend the upcoming Q&A [Date, time location]. The good news is that were here for you every step of the way! Why? As a result, your employees can latch on to the situation closest to their own, and feel more confident in their choices. (800) 583-6908 Contractually, employers may not be able to accommodate employees who miss open enrollment, unless they qualify for a special enrollment period. !.,-_*|+~#). TO: Department Benefit Representatives (DBR's), FR:Tami Schmittgen, HR Leave Administration, Supervisor, RE: 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence. Web here is the sample letter of the annual bonus letter to the employees. Subject Line: Tomorrow Is The Day For Open Enrollment! But most advisors suggest putting away 15-20% of your paycheck if you can. } To apply for benefits and verify eligibility, individuals should complete the online screener application. Highlight apps that put savings on autopilot. What Is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). Why? Everything You Need Is Inside! The opening of the email starts with a bold header letting employees know its time for open enrollment. All rights reserved. After open enrollment ends, you can only make changes to your elections if you've experienced a qualifying life event. G&A Partners is a leading professional employer organization (PEO) that offers world-class HR services and a team of experts who can help you navigate employment issues, safety initiatives, and moreduring (and after) the pandemic. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. He just cant beat a 100% return on his money. About Us Ensure they know exactly what theyre supposed to do next. Dave lives paycheck to paycheck and doesnt yet have an emergency fund. }); if($('.container-footer').length > 1){ var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); Legally, no. 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. Health Insurance Renewal Sample Letter to Employees By Mary Gormandy White, M.A., SHRM-SCP, SPHR YinYang / iStock via Getty Images If it's time for your company's group health plan to renew, it's advisable to notify your employees about the new plan options in writing. When looking into the issue, work with the employee and the health insurance broker to make sure there wasnt an administrative error. What to Do if an Employee Misses Open Enrollement Making changes to how open enrollment is presented and discussed with a strategic plan can alleviate much of the frustration. Have an upbeat message to let employees know this is a positive engagement. Provide contact information to let employees know how they can access Q & As, learn more about their benefits, and how to contact the human resources benefits specialist. We are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. t is the employees responsibility to sign up for benefits during open enrollment as long as the employer provides plenty of notice. Home } Now is the time to review your current benefits and prepare to make changes, if needed. Heres what you need to do to get and early start: [Instructions]. He writes about HR, compliance, and benefits solutions. In this second sample, look for employees who should have been excluded from participation. Ingenious Ways to Keep Remote Employees Engaged, What Youre Not Doing (But Should Be) to Improve Employee Satisfaction, A Guide to Workers Compensation When Working From Home, Employee benefits specialist contact info. Were two weeks from open enrollment. Stacia will assign and work with an FBS Billing Coordinator to work with the district on consolidated billing, discrepancies, and other billing matters. Offer health, dental, vision and more to recruit & retain employees. Missing open enrollment means limited options, but here a few situations to consider: Qualifying Life Event: An employee may be in luck if they have a qualifying event coming up. 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. Russ continues to support districts across the state with their risk management programs. As part of the open enrollment process, employers should help make employees aware of what happens if they missed open enrollment. But since he has high-interest credit card debt, Greg probably shouldnt contribute any more money to his 401Kbeyondthe match until his debt is repaid. Sample 2: Excuse email for work absence due to sickness. You want to give your employer time to reassign any of your tasks. As HR representatives address open. Get the cold and allergy relief you deserve. Here's what to tell them. Learn more, Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life. So, open enrollment can easily pass some by. This e-mail is the first step of a three-part process. Never miss out get the latest content delivered straight to your inbox. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. The deadline to make any changes will be [DATE]. As an employer, you may be faced with administrative burdens and unhappy or unproductive employees. Employers can also gather status updates during the open enrollment period to view which employees have not completed enrollment. Not great for Dave! He is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a Degree in Education. Format for absence excuse letter. Its a good idea to create simple and comprehensive policies and procedures so youre prepared in the event of an SEP. Applicable large employers (ALEs) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have additional concerns. Regularly educating employees: Providing multiple information channels during open enrollment can ensure that employees are well-informed and have the resources to make decisions about their benefits. Many employers even offer benefits education during open enrollment to help employees understand their options and make informed decisions. And to make matters worse, employees are skittish about their retirement savings right now thanks to COVID. ** ALL OPTION CHANGES WILL BECOME EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2020** The period from DECEMBER 11, 2019 through JANUARY 10, 2020 has been designated as the Annual Open Enrollment period during which employees who desire to change their health and/or dental insurance Please submit questions related to Open Enrollment for your employees on leave to Service Now > Leave Administration > Other Leave Questions. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but no, once you make your open enrollment elections, you don't have the option to change them later in the year unless you experience a qualifying life event. Here's what can happen and how HR can help. Apologize to an Employee or Employees WriteExpress Reach out to our team any time to chat! What To Do if an Employee Missed Open Enrollment at Work Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? In your hook, you want to get employees ready for open enrollment. The ConnectorCare program in Massachusetts (for people who are newly eligible or who haven't enrolled before). Missed Enrollment at Work, What do I Do? - obamacarefacts.com 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. ), Example #2: Dave, Who Has No Emergency Fund. Like Every Letter, You Need To Start By Addressing Your Staff. For exactly that reason, its important to make sure you go beyond encouraging higher and higher 401(k) contributions (which only some employees can manage) and, instead meet your entire workforce where it iswith more empathetic, targeted, holistic financial guidance. Short-term insurance is a plan that provides health insurance for 30-364 days (depending on your state) to act as a stopgap when there is a lapse in longer health coverage. An announcement is made via email to ensure employees are informed about open enrollment dates and benefits being offered. As you know, open enrollment is open now and closes [DATE]. 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. Here are a few ideas: Also consider other help emails that explain the process in greater detail. Hire, onboard, manage, and develop productive employees. Benefit terms would run from January 1st to December 31st. If you are asking for a longer leave of absence, send this letter as early as possible. Provide instructions on how to log in. Share links to reputable personal finance blogs and podcasts. In. Even with weeks of communication in advance, employees may report that they missed open enrollment at work. Please let us know if you have questions! But if not enough people participate in the program, the company may also not see the benefits. Open enrollment is an annual window when you can enroll in health coverage, switch to a different plan, or drop your coverage (that last point is only applicable if you have an employer-sponsored plan; self-purchased individual/family plans can be dropped at any time). 4 in 10 employees who are able to save for retirement are now saving less as they continue to face financial hardships. We can help you tackle business challenges like these. In either case, the qualifying life event would trigger a special enrollment period that would make you eligible to select a new individual insurance policy through the state marketplace. As the Director of Client Services at FBS, Cathy oversees the Billing, Clent Service, and Account Executive teams and is available to assist in escalated matters, if necessary. It often brings many questions and can be stressful on both sides of the communication flow. The more visibility you give them, the more likely your employees will dig in. If a company operates based on the fiscal year, the ideal open enrollment time frame would be in October. Request a consultation, so we discuss your payroll management and HR optimization needs. 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. As a top 1% graduate of the 2011 UT Arlington class, Brian emphasizes excellence and ingenuity, leading FBS to the forefront of benefit education and enrollment. $("span.current-site").html("SHRM MENA "); If Dave finds himself suddenly having to pay for something unexpected (like a broken transmission or a flooded basement) and doesnt have cash saved up, his options for paying off this bill are to a) raid his existing 401K funds and pay a penalty, (b) take out a loan against his account, reducing his after-tax pay by paying back principle and interest, or (c) use a high-interest credit card. Miss open enrollment? You've got options. - health insurance Specifically, 29 CFR 2590.701-6, and in permitted election changes for Section 125 plans ( 26 CFR 1.125-4 ).
