You want to give your employer time to reassign any of your tasks. 2023 FSA Store Inc. All Rights Reserved. Many employers even offer benefits education during open enrollment to help employees understand their options and make informed decisions. Include with your email any attachments related to open enrollment. You can buy your own insurance if you want. Dave lives paycheck to paycheck and doesnt yet have an emergency fund. Open enrollment can be an extremely stressful and overwhelming time for both you and your employees. Flex-Ed: Mistakes During Open Enrollment Can You Change Elections? 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. About Us As Billing Manager, she assists in the day to day accounting processing for her team and is available to handle any escalated billing matters. Need help with a specific HR issue like coronavirus or FLSA? There are benefit fairs, promotional material, and banners on the company website. 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. var currentUrl = window.location.href.toLowerCase(); New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program on the Horizon for Private Employers, How to Use HR Metrics to Improve Your Bottom Line. Specifically, his 401(k)-related gains7%-9% annually, on averagewould most likely be less than the losses he would take on his credit card, lets say, 13%-17%. SHRM Online, October 2019, Simple Open-Enrollment Tips That Can Make a Big Difference, And if you have any questions or are uncertain about anything in the process, contact your HR department - they'll help you navigate the open enrollment steps and clarify anything you don't understand. All you have to do to make changes to your benefits is to log into the online portal and make any changes. Communicating potential consequences to employees will encourage them to take the open enrollment deadline more seriously. document.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Give us a ring, send an email, or fill out the form below. Para garantizar que brindemos la informacin ms actualizada y de mayor precisin, algunos contenidos de este sitio web se mostrarn en ingls y los proporcionaremos en espaol una vez que estn disponibles. Consider implementing the following strategies: Offering adequate benefits education to your employees prior to and during the open enrollment period can help alleviate much of the confusion that they may face. A sample of the email notification from HR Leave Administration is also attached. Session Information: Many companies host open enrollment sessions to help fully explain the offerings. 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. Contractually, employers may not be able to accommodate employees who miss open enrollment, unless they qualify for a special enrollment period. COBRA Service Agreement, Benefits Consulting He writes about HR, compliance, and benefits solutions. In this second sample, look for employees who should have been excluded from participation. You want to provide employees with essential information about the upcoming benefits period that is engaging. Stacia will assign and work with an FBS Billing Coordinator to work with the district on consolidated billing, discrepancies, and other billing matters. For Workers and Families For Employers and Advisers If you've lost your job, had your hours reduced, or experienced other qualifying events there are options available to workers and their families to maintain health coverage, including the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, or COBRA. Did the employee miss open enrollment because of. We are looking forward to a successful enrollment season. COBRA - If you lose your job and elect to continue receiving benefits from your employer. Russ holds a Life, Accident & Health insurance license and a Risk Managers license through the Texas Department of Insurance, and brings to FBS over thirty years of risk management and pool administration expertise. So, for Joan, it makes sense to fund her 401K up to the company match and beyond, as much as she can afford. Were one day away from open enrollment! When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. The UCPath communications sent to employees are attached for your reference. HR teams can send additional reminders to those employees and follow up with them individually so they dont miss the deadline. 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. How to Draft a Open Enrollment Email to Employees (With Template). SHRM Online, September 2016. So offering smart 401K advice for employees is an especially important part of helping your employees recover from a challenging year. 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). But why stop there? My enrollment period at my job is in July and I missed it last year without being aware. 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. Purchasing Cooperatives, Speak to Consultant Insurance and benefits plans can be cost prohibitive for companies that run smaller operations and/or do not have a large workforce. Format for absence excuse letter. HR processes need to be in place as a standard business practice. I apologize for the delay in sending last month's paychecks. Sending out the open enrollment email to employees is just the first step. Enrollment ends Jan 15th in most states. Home To learn more, schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable business advisors. Coby joined FBS in 2007 as a Benefit Consultant and then rose to Vice President of Sales in 2013. Richardson, TX. The deadline to make any changes will be [DATE]. In reviewing the following information, you are taking the first step toward securing your. 1 NOTICE TO ALL EMPLOYEES - 2020 ANNUAL OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FOR OPTION CHANGES IN HEALTH AND DENTAL INSURANCE PLAN COVERAGE. If appropriate coverage is offered to employees (regardless of whether they enroll) these employers will not be subject to the penalty. "There are many factors, both in a benefits plan and in one's personal life, that can change every year. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. Only about one-third of employees (34 percent) have a . 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. By incorporating the mission of the university and the code of conduct, we believe strong communication will enhance understanding and foster positive work environments. 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. How Can HR Help an Employee Who Misses Open Enrollment? Log-in Now! Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. Changes in dependent status - children can age out of dependent status or become eligible for dependent status during the year. Why? } Your session has expired. 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. Comprehensive coverage for your business, property, and employees. And How it Works, Include employees in the benefits planning process, Ensure dates and deadlines are clearly communicated, Point out any tax or investment advantages, Provide helpful resources that are easy to digest, Format emails to be colorful and easy to read, Ask for their participation with a call to action, Provide all the contact information theyll need, Plug one last reminder about taking advantage of open enrollment. Access exclusive research and insights on the future of employee benefits. look at employees who received a W-2 and participated in the 403(b) plan. To avoid such frustrations in the future, we are changing to a computer system that will prepare checks a week in advance for distribution on payday. "Thank you" Writing a good job rejection letter is not as hard as you think it is! SHRM Online, September 2019, 10 Questions for Employees Choosing a Health Plan, If you have questions please send to [email] or attend the upcoming Q&A [Date, time location]. Despite your own best efforts to communicate important information and deadlines, you may have employees who dont successfully enroll on time. Your teams need ample time for payroll processing. The answer to your question may depend on whose open enrollment you missed and why. Plans like, short-term coverage and critical illness allow year-round enrollment but are not regulated by the. Sample 401K Communication to Employees. By requiring employees to sign either an acknowledgement of benefits form for those who opt in to coverage, or a waiver of coverage form for those who opt out or miss the deadline to enroll in employer-based benefits packages, you will create a uniform policy. Utilizing as many forms of communication as possible will enable you to reach more employees. Pay employees your way and automate tax payments. Have an upbeat message to let employees know this is a positive engagement. 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, (A version of this article appeared in Plan Sponsor magazine in February 2018.). Provide information in a wide variety of ways including: Ask your employees if they like the way information is being provided, if they would prefer information be distributed in different ways, or if they have questions that have yet to be answered. And to make matters worse, employees are skittish about their retirement savings right now thanks to COVID. Kyle was hired by FBS as one of our first benefit consultants in 2001 and became the President of the company in 2005. Our benefits fair will take place [insert dates, time, locations]. When writing an open enrollment letter, here are 5 things you should include: Timing: Open enrollment periods are often only a few weeks long. Attached is a flier with more details but please reply here and let us know if you have questions! Make Time for Employees Who Missed Open Enrollment. [Instructions or refer to additional resources]. Stop the sniffles You could have misread a question, been forced to rush through the process, or even miscalculated how much money would be coming out of your paycheck every week. Managing Organizational Communication]. The good news is that were here for you every step of the way! 401Ks, IRAs, compounding interest, employer matching its enough to make the average employees head spin. But employees are also balancing their workload, home life, childcare, and the holidaysall while trying to stay safe and healthy during a global pandemic that's been hard to predict. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and Google, Minimum of 1 special character ($%/()[]{}=? To provide managers and supervisors with the guidance they may need in times of crucial . Whatever the case, if you made a mistake during open enrollment, you're probably wondering if there's a way to make changes to your elections later on in the year. Did I pay out-of-pocket expenses this year that could be covered by an insurance option next year? But most advisors suggest putting away 15-20% of your paycheck if you can. It can be beneficial to ask your employees if they like the way information is being provided to them, if they would prefer information to be distributed in different ways, or if they have any questions that have yet to be answered. The email is simply an introduction. Please let us know if you have questions by replying to this email! 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. This is nothing new. Some states, however, do have penalties for individuals without minimum essential coverage. As a result, your employees can latch on to the situation closest to their own, and feel more confident in their choices. The point of offering healthcare employee benefits for employees is to ensure that they are properly cared for. This years enrollment period runs from [enrollment period dates]. There are simple steps employers can take to ensure a successful open enrollment period. Why? ACA Compliance, Medical Consulting Keep your health in check The open enrollment announcement email should go out two weeks before your benefits packages are made available to employees. Get a demo of the ALEX platform and learn more about how our software can help you boost benefits engagement, drive better financial decisions, and save your team time, money, and headaches. At Ignite HCM, we assist human resources administrators in streamlining processes. 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. SAMPLE EVERGREEN OPEN ENROLLMENT NOTICE . Picking an annual theme will keep your communications fresh and help unify all of your messages under one umbrella. In fact, there's a good chance that the terms of your employer's benefit plan don't allow any exceptions or changes for employees who make mistakes or miss the open enrollment period altogether. is a benefits enrollment strategy that employers use to simplify the process and maintain benefits participation. Open Enrollment Email to Employees (Templates). All of these options would result in him losing money beyond the cost of the surprise expense. Open with an engaging subject line and immediately set a positive tone. Jellyvision acquires Picwell to simplify the employee benefits puzzle! Gain the intel you need now to successfully anticipate and navigate employment laws, stay compliant and mitigate legal risks. As part of the open enrollment process, employers should help make employees aware of what happens if they missed open enrollment. Therefore, its important employers be proactive in their approach to open enrollment. TO: Department Benefit Representatives (DBR's), FR:Tami Schmittgen, HR Leave Administration, Supervisor, RE: 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence. Now is the time to review your current benefits and prepare to make changes, if needed. 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. If you experience one of these life events, you'll want to get in touch with your FSA administrator within 30 days of the event to find out if you are eligible to make changes to your plan. Are there any changes in my life that might make another health insurance choice more valuable this year? The UCPath Center mailed an Open Enrollment notice and Open Enrollment Form to employees who were on an unpaid leave of absence as of September 30, 2021. Be sure to include these details in your letter. a global pandemic that's been hard to predict, improve or enhance open enrollment communication. How the human resources department handles the lead-up to your companys open enrollment will define its success. Subject Line: Heads Up: Open Enrollment Details Coming Your Way. The dates give your human resources department time to process and review employee elections and send them to the benefits providers. Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. 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. Changes made at open enrollment are effective January 1, 2023. Personalized enrollment support, available virtually 24/7, Save time while supporting employees with Chat, Smart Tips, and Reminders. Sample 1: Excuse letter for work absence due to family matters. He currently serves as the benefit consultant for several of the FBS Benefit Co-Operatives and many standalone school districts. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); Written by If you have questions, dont hesitate to contact your benefits specialist[insert specialist contact information or provide a link]. The opening of the email starts with a bold header letting employees know its time for open enrollment. Offer health, dental, vision and more to recruit & retain employees. Its equally important to understand why they missed the deadline and help them avoid the same mistake in the future. To provide managers and supervisors with the guidance they may need in times of crucial communication, Employee & Labor Relations has prepared sample letters for supervisors to deliver to employees: Please consult with your Employee Relations Consultantat UC Davis and UC Davis Health regarding any of these letters. University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 | 530-752-1011. }); if($('.container-footer').length > 1){ 75082. The official dates are [DATE] to [DATE]. !.,-_*|+~#). I know how much you loved working there.". When it comes to your open enrollment elections, the best thing you can do is take your time and be thorough to minimize the chance of making mistakes. She encourages employees to ask themselves the following questions to be sure they are making the best choices for themselves and their families during the year ahead: "If you answered 'yes' or you're not sure about the answers to these questions now is the perfect time to revisit your benefits. If you are looking to outsource Paychex can help you manage HR, payroll, benefits, and more from our industry leading all-in-one solution. It often brings many questions and can be stressful on both sides of the communication flow. But it will show that you have their best interests in mindwhich, when it comes to creating change, is half the battle. Drive more engagement in money-saving programs throughout the year. Howevereven when it's for their benefit(s)your priorities are not always their priorities, and some workers may put it off, thinking they'll have more time to ask questions and get clarification later. In order to ensure that none of our employees in this status were missed by the cutoff date, HR Leave Administration . Learn how Jellyvision can help you solve your clients toughest challenges. 4 in 10 employees who are able to save for retirement are now saving less as they continue to face financial hardships. In order to offset any decrease in morale, it is important that you provide opportunities for the employee to meet with HR or to attend informational meetings that discuss his or her options to obtain coverage for the next year. 1.) Some are closer to retirement than others, some have a larger savings safety net than others, and some have more pressing upcoming expenses than others. For [current year], we are maintaining [describe plan types] and have made the following changes: [describe plan changes]. Learn how ALEX makes benefits engagement a breeze for HR teams and consultants. Depending on who the healthcare plan provider is, there may be contractual agreements that do not allow for enrollment . 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. 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. Here's our employee furlough letter sample: Dear [ employee_name ], I'm sorry to inform you that your position will be put temporarily on furlough due to urgent business conditions, from [ date] to [ date ]. After all the time and attention that HR pros give open enrollment, it can be hard to imagine how an employee could miss the window for electing their benefits. 4 out of 5 can find a marketplace plan for $10 or less a month with cost assistance! Get ready to discuss all things benefits! Mistakes happen -- and it happens more than it probably should when people are choosing health insurance. For employer-sponsored health coverage, special enrollment period rules are in the Code of Federal Regulations. if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-china.aspx") > -1) { Be sure to communicate the time period with employees. If you have not defined any specific goals, then start by focusing on the enrollment experience as a whole, for example what did your employees like and what do they want to be different for next year. Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income individuals, while CHIP provides health insurance to children of low-income families. Employees are befuddled by their health care coverage. Another way to increase engagement is to provide helpful resources and quick tips for employees to reference. ** 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 Benefit terms would run from January 1st to December 31st. Think about it your employees are a unique set of people with their own needs, life circumstances and goals. After all the time and attention that HR pros give, missing open enrollment can make a bad situation worse, An employee may be in luck if they have a, a change to an individuals circumstances, which allows them to, Short-term, or limited-duration, coverage is a health insurance plan that is meant to only last a short time, like a few months to a year. Earn FSA Perks Points, unlock member-only rewards, and speed up the checkout process. FBS Blog Here's what this kind of targeted advice might look like in an email you send to your workforce. , G&A Partners. 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. Please review the information . temp_style.textContent = '.ms-rtestate-field > p:first-child.is-empty.d-none, .ms-rtestate-field > .fltter .is-empty.d-none, .ZWSC-cleaned.is-empty.d-none {display:block !important;}'; Thank you for visiting theFSAstore.com Learning Center. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review your benefit plan options and make . 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 will give you the ability to answer any lingering questions from employees and build in extra time for those who are apt to miss deadlines, without placing any extra burdens on your HR team.. They must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. t is the employees responsibility to sign up for benefits during open enrollment as long as the employer provides plenty of notice. Hire, onboard, manage, and develop productive employees. HR teams in larger companies may even conduct special meetings or hold benefits fairs, all designed to help employees understand their benefits options so they can make informed decisions. Email is not the only way to reach employees. 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. Writing a Good Job Rejection Letter. Remember, this is a guide to get you thinking about your message to employees. Specifically, 29 CFR 2590.701-6, and in permitted election changes for Section 125 plans ( 26 CFR 1.125-4 ). Short-term coverage is typically cheaper than traditional health plans, but only relatively healthy individuals will qualify. You will not be subject to this penalty if you have offered appropriate coverage to employees, regardless of whether they enrolled in coverage. Here we have provided you with a template for your open enrollment email to employees. In this article, we will focus on the importance of sending an open enrollment email to employees. Please log into our benefits portal to make elections, update your contact information, and make any status changes. 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. If youre encouragingallyour employees to putas much as they caninto their 401(k), I hate to break it to you, but you may be causing more harm than good. Web spread the word about your company's open enrollment with these 30 short reminders. What Happens If an Employee Misses Open Enrollment? The better employees understand open enrollment and the benefits they receive from participating, the higher engagement employers will see from their team. 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.