sample letter to employees who missed open enrollment sample letter to employees who missed open enrollment

HR managers should be prepared to address the common employee question "What is a special enrollment period?" The Asking for employee feedback: Employees can be a great resource for offering suggestions about the best ways to structure benefits enrollment to ensure maximum participation. While employers have certain responsibilities to notify employees about benefits-related deadlines, the responsibility of registering for benefits and completing any required paperwork falls on the employee. The information below covers what open enrollment is and what you may do during this time. 3 Open Enrollment Reminders for Employeesand HR At many organizations, the open enrollment season for 2020 benefits is underway or about to begin. Emails are essential for company-wide communication because every employee gets assigned a company email when hired. Please log in as a SHRM member. Not all plans allow for mid-year changes, but you'll find that most do. ", "Americans tend to miss the mark when they stick with what they were doing before without double-checking their assumptions," said Kelley Long, a member of the AICPA Consumer Financial Education Advocates panel. Please let us know if you have questions by replying to this email! The deadline to make any changes will be [DATE]. We are looking forward to a successful enrollment season. Standalone Consulting Agreement Employee satisfaction is one of the most important avenues toward greater productivity and business growth. UCSB HR Leave Administration Open Enrollment Reminder, UCPath Leave without Pay Open Enrollment Letter, Open Enrollment Form for employees on unpaid leave of absence, ******************************************************************************************************, 3101 Student Affairs and Administrative Services Building (SAASB), 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence, 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. Open enrollment begins one month from now, beginning [DATE] until [DATE]. Heres what you need to do to get started now! money left over after basic living expenses are covered. 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. 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. Effective communication to employees can sometimes be a moving target. 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. Business Associate Agreement Its equally important to understand why they missed the deadline and help them avoid the same mistake in the future. Here's what to tell them. University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 | 530-752-1011. Theres no better time to talk about what to do with your free dollars than when an employee has just landed more free dollars, courtesy of payroll. After open enrollment ends, you can only make changes to your elections if you've experienced a qualifying life event. Make Time for Employees Who Missed Open Enrollment. So, for Joan, it makes sense to fund her 401K up to the company match and beyond, as much as she can afford. Here's what this kind of targeted advice might look like in an email you send to your workforce. Brian has spearheaded branding and media communications at FBS and leads the Marketing Department as the Marketing Manager. 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. Coby now serves as the Senior Vice President of FBS managing a team of sales, marketing, and client implementation personnel. 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. Russ continues to support districts across the state with their risk management programs. As Billing Manager, she assists in the day to day accounting processing for her team and is available to handle any escalated billing matters. Specifically, 29 CFR 2590.701-6, and in permitted election changes for Section 125 plans ( 26 CFR 1.125-4 ). 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 content is for educational purposes only, is not intended to provide specific legal advice, and should not be used as a substitute for the legal advice of a qualified attorney or other professional. Coby joined FBS in 2007 as a Benefit Consultant and then rose to Vice President of Sales in 2013. TO: Department Benefit Representatives (DBR's), FR:Tami Schmittgen, HR Leave Administration, Supervisor, RE: 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence. document.head.append(temp_style); You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. Writing a good job rejection letter is not as hard as you think it is! At many organizations, the open enrollment season for 2020 employer-sponsored benefits is under way or about to begin. 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. 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). 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. Please confirm that you want to proceed with deleting bookmark. We can help you tackle business challenges like these. 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. Although many of these suggestions are not legal requirements, it is in your best interest to take these steps in order to protect your business and its productivity. Benefit terms would run from January 1st to December 31st. Copyright 2023 The Regents of the University of California. 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. Here are the key components of the email. 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. Legally, no. As a result, your employees can latch on to the situation closest to their own, and feel more confident in their choices. Keep letters professional and to the point. Employers can also gather status updates during the open enrollment period to view which employees have not completed enrollment. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. Welcome to Open Enrollment! Please purchase a SHRM membership before saving bookmarks. I apologize for the delay in sending last month's paychecks. 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. Purchasing Cooperatives, Speak to Consultant The call-to-action lets them know the open enrollment date, where they can find information, and when enrollment packets will become available. 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. If feasible, send your excuse letter before you miss work. 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. Were two weeks from open enrollment. Get ready to discuss all things benefits! 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 are concerned about complying with ACA in any regard, please contact us to discuss one of our many options to help. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. All rights reserved. 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. So offering smart 401K advice for employees is an especially important part of helping your employees recover from a challenging year. Don't leave your elections for the last minute as that can make you rush the process and leave you more susceptible to mistakes. To qualify, individuals must have experienced a loss in permanent coverage due to a job change, layoff, becoming a college student, or missing open enrollment. Members can get help with HR questions via phone, chat or email. You can buy your own insurance if you want. , they can enroll at any time, all year long. 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. ACA open enrollment is through Dec. 15th. 2175 N. Glenville Drive At Ignite HCM, we assist human resources administrators in streamlining processes. (Feel free to copy-pastewe wont tell. Insurance and benefits plans can be cost prohibitive for companies that run smaller operations and/or do not have a large workforce. Example #3: Greg, Whos Got a Safety Net, But Whos Saddled With Lots of High-Interest Debt. Dave lives paycheck to paycheck and doesnt yet have an emergency fund. What makes the email essential is that you can send it to every employee through the companys email system. Dear Employee, The School District's Health Insurance open enrollment period for the INSERT year will begin on INSERT DATE. Were hiringsee all of our open positions. 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. Remind your employees about these resources regularly by highlighting a single resource every month. 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. Bookmark () Riia O'Donnell on Nov 27, 2018 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. }); if($('.container-footer').length > 1){ Subject Line: Tomorrow Is The Day For Open Enrollment! Make a corrective contribution to the plan for the employees that compensates for their missed deferral opportunity. But if not enough people participate in the program, the company may also not see the benefits. How to Draft a Open Enrollment Email to Employees (With Template). 2023 Open Enrollment Obamacare Health Plans Find 2023 health plans. 75082. 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. Turning 26 and being dropped from a parent's coverage, Change in number of eligible family members due to birth, death, adoption, or other family status change, Change in work hours or job position that could affect insurance eligibility. Also, remember the source of information. The Covered Connecticut program allows eligible applicants to enroll anytime. 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. Send them out as soon as you know that the applicant is not suitable for the role. 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. Make it easy on you and your team by taking advantage of our action plan and timeline. 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.. } These employers must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. Writing a Good Job Rejection Letter. 4 out of 5 can find a marketplace plan for $10 or less a month with cost assistance! Here's what can happen and how HR can help. To get the ball rolling, a robust open enrollment email to employees is vital. The most beneficial ways in which you can help the employee is by offering additional opportunities for education and by asking for feedback regarding the process so that you can work to prevent this from happening again in the future. look at employees who received a W-2 and participated in the 403(b) plan. But why stop there? Were sharing some sample 401K communication to employees that you can use to get your message across. If your organization doesn't offer auto-enrollment, then workers who miss the window may be left out in the cold without any coverage. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Kyle was hired by FBS as one of our first benefit consultants in 2001 and became the President of the company in 2005. Benefit Cooperatives (Feel free to copy-pastewe won't tell.) Please log into our benefits portal to make elections, update your contact information, and make any status changes. In order to ensure that none of our employees in this status were missed by the cutoff date,HR Leave Administration will email an Open Enrollment reminder this week to allemployees currently on a leave of absence regardless of pay status. 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. They must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. Richardson, TX. COBRA - If you lose your job and elect to continue receiving benefits from your employer. To learn more, schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable business advisors. Sending out the open enrollment email to employees is just the first step. Subject Line: Lets Talk Benefits! Most employees receive a flood of work-related emails every single day. Bonus tip: Dont just send all these links in a one-time email. 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. Employees digest information in different ways. Sample 4: Formal absent excuse letter due to an emergency. Many companies find communications difficult to manage during this time and participation is frequently low. Short-term coverage is typically cheaper than traditional health plans, but only relatively healthy individuals will qualify. If youre offering new plans, however, passive enrollment isnt an option, so allow additional time and resources to communicate and follow up with employees. The good news is that were here for you every step of the way! Only about one-third of employees (34 percent) have a . Personalized enrollment support, available virtually 24/7, Save time while supporting employees with Chat, Smart Tips, and Reminders. HR is still the caretaker of company culture, even when administering benefits. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); When looking into the issue, work with the employee and the health insurance broker to make sure there wasnt an administrative error. Think of it as an invitation. Its that time of year again! By incorporating the mission of the university and the code of conduct, we believe strong communication will enhance understanding and foster positive work environments. Its recommended the announcement email should go out two weeks before benefits packages are made available to all employees. In this article, we will focus on the importance of sending an open enrollment email to employees. 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. You can get your own copy here. Coop Consulting Agreement Drafting an open enrollment email is not a daunting task. For that time frame, announcements would go out in the middle of September. FBS Blog He currently serves as the benefit consultant for several of the FBS Benefit Co-Operatives and many standalone school districts. Joan has a few thousand dollars saved for emergencies and no high-interest credit card debt. SHRM Employment Law & Compliance Conference, stress their importance and provide education on how to properly use them, digital apps and online portals with built-in decision support, Employers Enhance Emotional and Mental Health Benefits for 2020, Simple Open-Enrollment Tips That Can Make a Big Difference, 10 Questions for Employees Choosing a Health Plan, 3 Open Enrollment Reminders for Employeesand HR, New OSHA Guidance Clarifies Return-to-Work Expectations, Trump Suspends New H-1B Visas Through 2020, Faking COVID-19 Illness Can Have Serious Consequences, U.S. Companys Mandatory Video Surveillance Violated Dutch Rights, Leading Difficult Conversations About Layoffs. ), Example #2: Dave, Who Has No Emergency Fund. You can also take an email communication and post it to the employee portal on your website. Letter Template #1. Join 22,000+ HR pros who receive monthly employee benefits insights, straight to their inbox. Put together educational materials when employees get a raise, and remind them that nows a good time to up their contribution if they can. G&A Partners offers small- and mid-sized companies access to top-quality benefits options by leveraging the buying power of thousands of client companies when negotiating with providers. Have questions about managing your own 401K? Why Send an Open Enrollment Email to Employees? So, open enrollment can easily pass some by. Log-in Now! 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). For you, when employees miss this deadline, it can result in additional administrative burdens and unhappy or unproductive employees. Earn FSA Perks Points, unlock member-only rewards, and speed up the checkout process. In the same way 401(k)s use automated deposits to make retirement savings easy for employees, mobile apps likeAcorns,Robinhood,Stash,DigitsandTallyuse automation to help people build emergency savings funds, pay down credit card debt, and invest in smart, manageable, and automatic ways. (800) 583-6908 Now What? Hi team, Putting money away for your retirement is important, but how important depends on the financial . Highlight apps that put savings on autopilot. While employers have little ability to "bend the rules" for employees when they have missed open enrollment at work, there are some options that can help both employer and employee. At-home diagnostic tools help you stay one step ahead. 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. He currently serves as the benefit consultant for 15 of the 20 Educational Service Centers in the State of Texas. Communicating potential consequences to employees will encourage them to take the open enrollment deadline more seriously. The better employees understand open enrollment and the benefits they receive from participating, the higher engagement employers will see from their team. pliance is currently $0. When the economy is unstable, employers are faced with difficult decisions around staffing, pay and benefits. She and her team will provide the district with monthly billing services. 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. 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). Benefits Technology This is the time for you to [Instructions], Were excited to bring you [Detail plan options and info]. Pick A Theme Lose the stiff, corporate lingo and put a little fun back into open enrollment. Written by The attachments can include: Getting essential information to employees is vital but shouldnt overwhelm the employee. Your session has expired. -Serve or call a benefits coordinator in the MCC Employee Benefits Department. Tips for writing a professional excuse email. The only exception to these terms is if an employee qualifies for a special enrollment period (SEP). Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRMs permission. The dates give your human resources department time to process and review employee elections and send them to the benefits providers. Copyright The Regents of the University of California, Davis campus. "Thank you" Most companies operate on a calendar fiscal year. 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. The date coverage starts depends on when you lose coverage and the date a plan is selected. Even with weeks of communication in advance, employees may report that they missed open enrollment at work. Keep in mind, though, that employees must make changes to their flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts each year. Session Information: Many companies host open enrollment sessions to help fully explain the offerings. 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. Whenever someone loses their job, they want to hear that their loss is validated. Deadline to enroll for insurance to start Jan 1 is Dec 15. Putting money away for your retirement is important, but how important depends on the financial boat youre in. In some circumstances, employees may be granted a special exception that allows them to retroactively register for benefits outside the standard enrollment window when they missed health insurance enrollment. Learn how Jellyvision can help you solve your clients toughest challenges. Individuals who are in transition may qualify to register for a short-term insurance plan if offered in their state.