sample letter to employees who missed open enrollment

Consider also whether or not your company should offer auto-enrollment to help employees avoid missing open enrollment. Were one day away from open enrollment! Be sure to include these details in your letter. Sample 401K Communication to Employees: A Template for HR Leaders Depending on who the healthcare plan provider is, there may be contractual agreements that do not allow for enrollment . Its that time of year again! But most advisors suggest putting away 15-20% of your paycheck if you can. Capture employees attention with benefits messages that stick. Open with an engaging subject line and immediately set a positive tone. Pay employees your way and automate tax payments. 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. In order to prevent these issues, it is important to understand what it means when an employee misses open enrollment and how it can affect your businessbefore it actually happens. Russ joined FBS in 2019 after working as a valued partner for 15 years and manages our ISDs group health program. Get ready to discuss all things benefits! The information below covers what open enrollment is and what you may do during this time. 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. There are benefit fairs, promotional material, and banners on the company website. Mr. James started his insurance career in 1993 with American Fidelity in Lubbock, Texas and remained with them until 2000. As a result, your employees can latch on to the situation closest to their own, and feel more confident in their choices. Welcome to Open Enrollment! If you don't have time to send a formal letter, consider sending an excuse email instead. Your teams should start strategizing well before the announcement for open enrollment. What to Do if an Employee Misses Open Enrollement money left over after basic living expenses are covered. The opening of the email starts with a bold header letting employees know its time for open enrollment. Careers, Terms of Use Access exclusive research and insights on the future of employee benefits. 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. Start reviewing your benefit information now so youre ready when the time is right. 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. 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. But why stop there? Utilizing as many forms of communication as possible will enable you to reach more employees. Open Enrollment Period: October 10, 2022 - October 31, 2022 This is the annual opportunity for you to make changes to your benefits and to add or drop eligible dependents from coverage. Example #3: Greg, Whos Got a Safety Net, But Whos Saddled With Lots of High-Interest Debt. Not all plans allow for mid-year changes, but you'll find that most do. Her past insurance experience includes roles as Marketing Supervisor, Account Management, and Account Executive at one of the largest insurance carriers of some of the largest employers in the state of Texas. COBRA Continuation Coverage | U.S. Department of Labor - DOL Consider creating an email template. In this second sample, look for employees who should have been excluded from participation. What Is an IRS Qualifying Event for Health Insurance? This can happen for a variety of reasons, including a change in family status, work or information overload, or challenges in navigating the benefits enrollment process. Partnering with a respected third-party administrator is a great way to help educate your employees on their benefits and help make sure they get the most out of the open enrollment experience. How to Draft a Open Enrollment Email to Employees (With Template). 2023 FSA Store Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. Employers can also gather status updates during the open enrollment period to view which employees have not completed enrollment. When open enrollment ends, we know you'll receive an influx of employee questions about their options to sign up for healthcare. For that time frame, announcements would go out in the middle of September. As an employer, you may be faced with administrative burdens and unhappy or unproductive employees. * 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. Use a format that addresses the employee by name. SHRM's HR Knowledge Advisors offer guidance and resources to assist members with their HR inquiries. else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { Depending on your circumstances, your opportunities to enroll after the end of the annual open enrollment period may be limited. Our benefits fair will take place [insert dates, time, locations]. 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. Even with weeks of communication in advance, employees may report that they missed open enrollment at work. Pointers to pass along as open enrollment gets underway. 2023 Open Enrollment - Human Resources 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. The call-to-action lets them know the open enrollment date, where they can find information, and when enrollment packets will become available. Tips for writing a professional excuse email. Open enrollment begins [DATE] and closes [DATE]. Provide instructions on how to log in. If your organization doesn't offer auto-enrollment, then workers who miss the window may be left out in the cold without any coverage. Miss open enrollment? You've got options. - health insurance Get Your Free Sample Open Enrollment Letter - Paycor The information must get to vendors to ensure employees elections are accessible on day one of your companys benefits plan year. COBRA - If you lose your job and elect to continue receiving benefits from your employer. Make it easy on you and your team by taking advantage of our action plan and timeline. To learn more, schedule a consultation with one of our knowledgeable business advisors. 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. What makes the email essential is that you can send it to every employee through the companys email system. 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 all. HR is still the caretaker of company culture, even when administering benefits. Format for absence excuse letter. 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. Learn how SHRM Certification can accelerate your career growth by earning a SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP. 401Ks, IRAs, compounding interest, employer matching its enough to make the average employees head spin. The open enrollment announcement email should go out two weeks before your benefits packages are made available to employees. What to Do When You Miss Open Enrollment - Verywell Health Open Enrollment begins on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 and runs through 5 pm, Thursday, October 31, 2019You may enroll online through Employee Self. This e-mail is the first step of a three-part process. Ensure they know exactly what theyre supposed to do next. Build specialized knowledge and expand your influence by earning a SHRM Specialty Credential. Sample Absent Excuse Letters for Missing Work *All Shipping prices displayed are for the lower 48 states only. Here's what to tell them. 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. 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. I apologize for the delay in sending last month's paychecks. For you, when employees miss this deadline, it can result in additional administrative burdens and unhappy or unproductive employees. } Changes in number of dependents - if you have a child, adopt a child, or if a child passes away. Mistakes During Open Enrollment Can You Change Elections? Offer health, dental, vision and more to recruit & retain employees. 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. Do I anticipate any new expenses next year that might change my current elections? Here are a few ideas: Also consider other help emails that explain the process in greater detail. 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 point of offering healthcare employee benefits for employees is to ensure that they are properly cared for. [Insert link to benefits portal and instructions]. 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. You can get your own copy here. Deadline to enroll for insurance to start Jan 1 is Dec 15. Remind your employees about these resources regularly by highlighting a single resource every month. 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. 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. After open enrollment ends, you can only make changes to your elections if you've experienced a qualifying life event. 3 Open Enrollment Reminders for Employeesand HR - SHRM Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review your benefit plan options and make . In. ACA Compliance, Medical Consulting As an Account Executive, she was a key team member on the TRS-ActiveCare account from its inception through the duration of the contract. 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. Now What? All rights reserved. So offering smart 401K advice for employees is an especially important part of helping your employees recover from a challenging year. 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. 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. 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy program by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is urging employees to carefully review their family's financial situation and insurance options to pick the best coverage plan for their household. Plus, you must consider the different ways people receive information. Accessibility and clarity of complex information give employees and employers a better experience and promote higher levels of participation. Changes in employment - this can mean starting a new job, quitting, or a transition from part-time to full-time work status. 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. 1.) But how do you make sure your benefits communication strategy is up to par? Track employee time and maximize payroll accuracy. Virtual & Washington, DC | February 26-28, 2023. 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. Keep your health in check To get the ball rolling, a robust open enrollment email to employees is vital. 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. Dave lives paycheck to paycheck and doesnt yet have an emergency fund. RE: 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence. The date coverage starts depends on when you lose coverage and the date a plan is selected. In reviewing the following information, you are taking the first step toward securing your. Remind employees they will receive a confirmation of their changes. Written by Join 22,000+ HR pros who receive monthly employee benefits insights, straight to their inbox. Here are some points you can (and should) include: Be Concise, and Swift. Learn more, Money Girls Quick and Dirty Tips for a Richer Life. Richardson, TX. Whenever someone loses their job, they want to hear that their loss is validated. 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. Subject Line: Heads Up: Open Enrollment Details Coming Your Way. Please submit the email address associated with your account to reset your password. To prevent these issues, its important to communicate to your employeesahead of timethe consequences of missing the open enrollment deadline. Let's use a fall open enrollment as an example. Personalized enrollment support, available virtually 24/7, Save time while supporting employees with Chat, Smart Tips, and Reminders. The better employees understand open enrollment and the benefits they receive from participating, the higher engagement employers will see from their team. The UCPath communications sent to employees are attached for your reference. 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. Purchasing Cooperatives, Speak to Consultant Coop Consulting Agreement Notice to All Employees - Annual Open Enrollment Period Its their opportunity to enroll or make changes to their employee benefits. What Is a Dependent Care FSA and How Does It Work? The email is simply an introduction. 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. 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. "There are many factors, both in a benefits plan and in one's personal life, that can change every year. You can also take an email communication and post it to the employee portal on your website. If your HR team is already overloaded during open enrollment season, trusted HR consulting services can help lighten the load and generate ideas for the best ways to support your employees through open enrollment. 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. Make a corrective contribution to the plan for the employees that compensates for their missed deferral opportunity. Subject Line: Lets Talk Benefits! If you improperly included an employee, you may have a . 75082. They must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. Health Insurance Renewal Sample Letter to Employees The IRS states that a qualifying event must have an impact on your insurance needs or change what health insurance plans that you qualify for. ", 2. Did the employee miss open enrollment because of. Apologize to an Employee or Employees WriteExpress If you have questions please send to [email] or attend the upcoming Q&A [Date, time location]. Sending out the open enrollment email to employees is just the first step. 12 Encouraging Messages to Share After a Job Loss | Cake Blog 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. 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 periodsuch as before the new plan year begins. Attached is a flier with more details but please reply here and let us know if you have questions! 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. He writes about HR, compliance, and benefits solutions. Subject line: Let's get smarter about 401K savings. As you know, open enrollment is open now and closes [DATE]. Most companies operate on a calendar fiscal year. All of these options would result in him losing money beyond the cost of the surprise expense. Enrollment ends Jan 15th in most states. Common qualifying life events include: Changes in marital status . 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, pliance is currently $0. It's possible the employee had actually selected benefits but failed to confirm their election for some reason. Now is the time to review your current benefits and prepare to make changes, if needed. 2175 N. Glenville Drive Legally, employers are not required to do anything for employees who have missed the open enrollment deadline. The more visibility you give them, the more likely your employees will dig in. Copyright The Regents of the University of California, Davis campus. 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. Changes made at open enrollment are effective January 1, 2023. Highlight apps that put savings on autopilot. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. 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. 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.