When open enrollment ends, we know you'll receive an influx of employee questions about their options to sign up for healthcare. 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. Brian has spearheaded branding and media communications at FBS and leads the Marketing Department as the Marketing Manager. Effective communication to employees can sometimes be a moving target. Another way to increase engagement is to provide helpful resources and quick tips for employees to reference. Many employers even offer benefits education during open enrollment to help employees understand their options and make informed decisions. What Is the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). If youre offering new plans, however, passive enrollment isnt an option, so allow additional time and resources to communicate and follow up with employees. In this article, we will focus on the importance of sending an open enrollment email to employees. Here are a few ideas: Also consider other help emails that explain the process in greater detail. Start reviewing your benefit information now so youre ready when the time is right. Use this opportunity to set your finances up for your best 2020. Find the latest news and members-only resources that can help employers navigate in an uncertain economy. -Serve or call a benefits coordinator in the MCC Employee Benefits Department. She and her team will provide the district with monthly billing services. We can help you tackle business challenges like these. Managing Organizational Communication]. Human Resources - Sample Letters to Employees How Can HR Help an Employee Who Misses Open Enrollment? A sample of the email notification from HR Leave Administration is also attached. - Workest Your Employee Missed Open Enrollment for Health Insurance. Keep letters professional and to the point. The UCPath communications sent to employees are attached for your reference. var currentLocation = getCookie("SHRM_Core_CurrentUser_LocationID"); Coop Consulting Agreement Here's what can happen and how HR can help. It starts valuable dialog on whats being offered and how to take advantage of it. 2. HR processes need to be in place as a standard business practice. Deadlines are vital when it comes to open enrollment. Emails are essential for company-wide communication because every employee gets assigned a company email when hired. 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. Sample 2: Excuse email for work absence due to sickness. The dates give your human resources department time to process and review employee elections and send them to the benefits providers. The email is simply an introduction. All Rights Reserved. When writing an open enrollment letter, here are 5 things you should include: Timing: Open enrollment periods are often only a few weeks long. (Feel free to copy-pastewe won't tell.) You have successfully saved this page as a bookmark. These are just a few quick tips. Don't leave your elections for the last minute as that can make you rush the process and leave you more susceptible to mistakes. Keep in mind, though, that employees must make changes to their flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts each year. Be sure to communicate the time period with employees. Here are a few different scenarios you might find yourself in, and some advice for how to approach your 401K. Now What? Open Enrollment begins on Tuesday, October 15, 2019 and runs through 5 pm, Thursday, October 31, 2019You may enroll online through Employee Self. 401k Announcement Letter To Employees - EMPLOYMENT JKX 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. Category. In order to ensure that none of our employees in this status were missed by the cutoff date, HR Leave Administration . Its that time of year again! 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. FBS Blog Pointers to pass along as open enrollment gets underway. If you are looking to outsource Paychex can help you manage HR, payroll, benefits, and more from our industry leading all-in-one solution. The official dates are [DATE] to [DATE]. 2023 Open Enrollment - Human Resources We've got great ideas for top health purchases before the Grace Period deadline. 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. This is nothing new. 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. 2175 N. Glenville Drive 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). Get Your Free Sample Open Enrollment Letter - Paycor 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. And there is a tool that can make that happen. But if not enough people participate in the program, the company may also not see the benefits. Bookmark () Riia O'Donnell on Nov 27, 2018 Dave lives paycheck to paycheck and doesnt yet have an emergency fund. Coby now serves as the Senior Vice President of FBS managing a team of sales, marketing, and client implementation personnel. Not all plans allow for mid-year changes, but you'll find that most do. As an Account Executive, she was a key team member on the TRS-ActiveCare account from its inception through the duration of the contract. Remind your employees about these resources regularly by highlighting a single resource every month. To apply for benefits and verify eligibility, individuals should complete the online screener application. var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); 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. 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. 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). While just keeping whatever health coverage they had this year is tempting for employees, doing so may come with a substantial financial downside. Medicaid provides health insurance to low-income individuals, while CHIP provides health insurance to children of low-income families. else if(currentUrl.indexOf("/about-shrm/pages/shrm-mena.aspx") > -1) { Employees disseminate information differently, so you may need to consider other methods of engagement. Drafting A Sample Email Most employees receive a flood of work-related emails every single day. The call-to-action lets them know the open enrollment date, where they can find information, and when enrollment packets will become available. } You want to provide employees with essential information about the upcoming benefits period that is engaging. DOCX Vermont Education Health Initiative VEHI 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. } Picking an annual theme will keep your communications fresh and help unify all of your messages under one umbrella. Here's what to expect: 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. Notice to All Employees - Annual Open Enrollment Period Sample 4: Formal absent excuse letter due to an emergency. 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. 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. 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. ACA Compliance, Medical Consulting Remind employees they will receive a confirmation of their changes. ", [SHRM members-only toolkit: Subject Line: Heads Up: Open Enrollment Details Coming Your Way. (A version of this article appeared in Plan Sponsor magazine in February 2018.). They must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. Information sessions and benefits fairs are among other steps to ensure every employee can decide their health benefits. Sample 401K Communication to Employees. Youcouldadd the examples above into your general 401K messaging and call it a day. Copyright 2023 The Regents of the University of California. Be sure to check your state laws. Short-term coverage is typically cheaper than traditional health plans, but only relatively healthy individuals will qualify. Purchasing Cooperatives, Speak to Consultant Send them out as soon as you know that the applicant is not suitable for the role. 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. Session Information: Many companies host open enrollment sessions to help fully explain the offerings. Format for absence excuse letter. 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. To request permission for specific items, click on the reuse permissions button on the page where you find the item. Mr. James started his insurance career in 1993 with American Fidelity in Lubbock, Texas and remained with them until 2000. 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. Helping Employees Navigate Health Benefits During Open Enrollment - SHRM Benefit terms would run from January 1st to December 31st. Please log in as a SHRM member before saving bookmarks. Additional education can come in the form of personal worksite consultations, one-on-one appointments with HR representatives, seminars, webinars and self-paced e-learning modules. coverage qualify for a special enrollment period to enroll in a Marketplace plan outside of the annual open enrollment period and may select a plan within 60 days of losing job-based coverage (either 60 days before or 60 days after). Learn how Jellyvision can help you solve your clients toughest challenges. If an employee misses . The better employees understand open enrollment and the benefits they receive from participating, the higher engagement employers will see from their team. SHRM Online, September 2016. Do I anticipate any new expenses next year that might change my current elections? 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. Subject Line: Were Two Weeks From Open Enrollment! Following this time frame, your open enrollment email to employees would go out in mid-September. Why? 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 ]. 403(b) Plan Fix-It Guide - You didn't give all employees of the allsynx Platform Agreement "I'm sorry to hear you lost your job. is a benefits enrollment strategy that employers use to simplify the process and maintain benefits participation. 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. Make Time for Employees Who Missed Open Enrollment. 401Ks, IRAs, compounding interest, employer matching its enough to make the average employees head spin. Communicating potential consequences to employees will encourage them to take the open enrollment deadline more seriously. Your teams need ample time for payroll processing. (800) 583-6908 Tips for writing a professional excuse email. 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. Request a consultation, so we discuss your payroll management and HR optimization needs. 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. Open enrollment is complex enough as it is. Remote employment has become popular in the past few years, with more employers opting for this new way of doing things. At-home diagnostic tools help you stay one step ahead. 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. Share links to reputable personal finance blogs and podcasts. ), Example #2: Dave, Who Has No Emergency Fund. As HR representatives address open enrollment meetings, speak with employees one-on-one and send out enrollment reminders, they can use these pointers to help employees make smart decisions. Cathy has been in the insurance industry for 28 years. Log-in Now! The open enrollment survey questions you ask largely will depend on the goals you are trying to measure. Open Enrollment Email to Employees (Templates). ensure a successful open enrollment period. Home Putting money away for your retirement is important, but how important depends on the financial boat youre in. Please let us know if you have questions by replying to this email! The attachments can include: Getting essential information to employees is vital but shouldnt overwhelm the employee. It often brings many questions and can be stressful on both sides of the communication flow. Accessibility and clarity of complex information give employees and employers a better experience and promote higher levels of participation. The good news is that were here for you every step of the way! Since Greg has an emergency fund in place, it makes sense for him to fund his 401K until his employer match is reached. Are there any changes in my life that might make another health insurance choice more valuable this year? We are available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. Plus, you must consider the different ways people receive information. 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. Hi team, Putting money away for your retirement is important, but how important depends on the financial . To provide managers and supervisors with the guidance they may need in times of crucial . , G&A Partners. 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. Joan has a few thousand dollars saved for emergencies and no high-interest credit card debt. 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. New Jersey Secure Choice Savings Program on the Horizon for Private Employers, How to Use HR Metrics to Improve Your Bottom Line. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); HR is still the caretaker of company culture, even when administering benefits. Open enrollment consumes a large amount of HR's time and energy, making it nearly impossible to forget about. 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. When looking into the issue, work with the employee and the health insurance broker to make sure there wasnt an administrative error. Bretton is an aPHR-certified member of the Marketing Team at Bernard Health. t is the employees responsibility to sign up for benefits during open enrollment as long as the employer provides plenty of notice. Qualifying life events can be circumstances that change an employee's status for benefits, such as changing the number of individuals in the household who are covered under a benefits plan. But how do you make sure your benefits communication strategy is up to par? Bonus tip: Dont just send all these links in a one-time email. Are there changes I can make to my budget that would allow me to increase tax-deferred savings through a flexible spending account or a health savings account. 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.. pliance is currently $0. How to Write an Employee Open Enrollment Email and Templates I know how much you loved working there.". Your teams should start strategizing well before the announcement for open enrollment. 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. Sushma Tripathi, vice president of strategic advisory services at ADP, an HR management software and services provider, offered the following starter questions HR can ask to engage employees during open enrollment. Ensure they know exactly what theyre supposed to do next. The information must get to vendors to ensure employees elections are accessible on day one of your companys benefits plan year. The ConnectorCare program in Massachusetts (for people who are newly eligible or who haven't enrolled before). Sample Termination Letter to Employee Template | Workable During open enrollment, HR representatives often block off hours in their calendars to respond to employee questions about coverage, requirements, and deadlines. Our benefits fair will take place [insert dates, time, locations]. For employer-sponsored health coverage, special enrollment period rules are in the Code of Federal Regulations. The most common option for employees who missed the 30-day enrollment period is simply to wait until the next enrollment period to register for benefits. Please review the information . Richardson, TX. Web spread the word about your company's open enrollment with these 30 short reminders. For that time frame, announcements would go out in the middle of September. 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. * 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. Here's what this kind of targeted advice might look like in an email you send to your workforce. These waivers also protect an employee's ability to immediately enroll for benefits if they lose coverage from an outside health plan, such as a spouse's employer. The only exception to these terms is if an employee qualifies for a special enrollment period (SEP). Did the employee miss open enrollment because of. 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. 3 Open Enrollment Reminders for Employeesand HR - SHRM Open enrollment is a predetermined time frame employers establish for making changes to health care plans and benefits. Missing open enrollment can be a costly mistake for employees, so employers should take adequate steps to help their employees through the enrollment process. Changes in number of dependents - if you have a child, adopt a child, or if a child passes away. To help employees meet open enrollment deadlines, consider implementing internal company deadlines that build in a safety net. For you, when employees miss this deadline, it can result in additional administrative burdens and unhappy or unproductive employees. If you have questions, dont hesitate to contact your benefits specialist[insert specialist contact information or provide a link]. 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. Some states, however, do have penalties for individuals without minimum essential coverage. So offering smart 401K advice for employees is an especially important part of helping your employees recover from a challenging year. 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. a global pandemic that's been hard to predict, improve or enhance open enrollment communication. If you missed open enrollment through your employer, you've probably already asked for their help but there may be nothing they can do. RE: 2022 Open Enrollment communications to employees on leave of absence. All rights reserved. Employers that are applicable large employers (ALEs) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have additional concerns. Hopefully, we'll be able to restore your employment after this critical time. Your employer is not legally obligated to allow you to make changes to your elections after the open enrollment period has ended. Sample 3: Letter of permission for missing work due to an important matter. Even with weeks of communication in advance, employees may report that they missed open enrollment at work. 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. Think of it as an invitation. 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. Thank them in advance for doing their part to make this a successful open enrollment. He would lose more money than hed gain if still carrying that debt. 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. This e-mail is the first step of a three-part process. How to Write An Excuse Letter for Missing Work (with Examples) 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. Have an upbeat message to let employees know this is a positive engagement. Making your employees aware of these tools doesnt guarantee theyll use them, of course. [Instructions or refer to additional resources]. , they can enroll at any time, all year long. We do not sell internationally. It's possible the employee had actually selected benefits but failed to confirm their election for some reason. Russ joined FBS in 2019 after working as a valued partner for 15 years and manages our ISDs group health program. However, this may not be practical, especially for employees with growing families. As part of the open enrollment process, employers should help make employees aware of what happens if they missed open enrollment. 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. I missed open enrollment for my insurance and now I need to - Workest Insurance and benefits plans can be cost prohibitive for companies that run smaller operations and/or do not have a large workforce. Thank you for visiting theFSAstore.com Learning Center. Offer health, dental, vision and more to recruit & retain employees. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review your benefit plan options and make . 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).