sample letter to employees who missed open enrollment

(Let employees know if plans are changing or if new plans were added). Has my employer made changes to its current benefits plan? Open enrollment begins one month from now, beginning [DATE] until [DATE]. Here's what this kind of targeted advice might look like in an email you send to your workforce. All Rights Reserved. Effective communication to employees can sometimes be a moving target. 2023 FSA Store Inc. All Rights Reserved. $('.container-footer').first().hide(); 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). 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. The ConnectorCare program in Massachusetts (for people who are newly eligible or who haven't enrolled before). Subject line: Let's get smarter about 401K savings. There are benefit fairs, promotional material, and banners on the company website. In order to ensure that none of our employees in this status were missed by the cutoff date, HR Leave Administration . 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. SHRM's HR Knowledge Advisors offer guidance and resources to assist members with their HR inquiries. When writing an open enrollment letter, here are 5 things you should include: Timing: Open enrollment periods are often only a few weeks long. To get the ball rolling, a robust open enrollment email to employees is vital. Therefore, your open enrollment for the new year will take place in October. Let's use a fall open enrollment as an example. Short-term coverage is typically cheaper than traditional health plans, but only relatively healthy individuals will qualify. 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. You heard it here first! 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. Here's what to tell them. Have questions about managing your own 401K? Please log into our benefits portal to make elections, update your contact information, and make any status changes. Why? Its the start of Open Enrollment! These employers must offer affordable, minimum-essential coverage to their full-time employees or potentially face the employer shared responsibility penalty. Subject Line: Tomorrow Is The Day For Open Enrollment! 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. 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. Bretton is an aPHR-certified member of the Marketing Team at Bernard Health. Here are a few tips to make OE emails engaging and drive participation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); I am aBrokerCarrierEmployerCOBRA Participant. Still, missing open enrollment can make a bad situation worse. $(document).ready(function () { -Serve or call a benefits coordinator in the MCC Employee Benefits Department. Sample 3: Letter of permission for missing work due to an important matter. } Attached is a flier with more details but please reply here and let us know if you have questions! , they can enroll at any time, all year long. 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. Web here is the sample letter of the annual bonus letter to the employees. Copyright 2023 The Regents of the University of California. Here we have provided you with a template for your open enrollment email to employees. 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. But at the height of a pandemic, it's all the more troubling. Open enrollment begins [DATE] and closes [DATE]. In order to ensure that your employees are able to make the most out of the open enrollment period and the benefits your company provides, you should take an active role during open enrollment. By 'setting and forgetting' a benefit plan, you not only run the risk of getting stuck in one that isn't right for you, but also one that costs you extra. Were sharing some sample 401K communication to employees that you can use to get your message across. What Happens If an Employee Misses Open Enrollment? 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. 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. Common qualifying life events include: Changes in marital status . About Us var temp_style = document.createElement('style'); If an employee misses open enrollment, its important that HR first respond with empathy and understanding. If youre offering new plans, however, passive enrollment isnt an option, so allow additional time and resources to communicate and follow up with employees. Open enrollment consumes a large amount of HR's time and energy, making it nearly impossible to forget about. So, open enrollment can easily pass some by. These include: Since there is little wiggle room with open enrollment deadlines, employers should focus on preventing employees from missing the annual deadline. (Feel free to copy-pastewe wont tell. All of these options would result in him losing money beyond the cost of the surprise expense. ", [SHRM members-only toolkit: If you are looking for help with your current system, or think it may be time to enhance your benefits package, contact us to talk to a consultant. 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. 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. 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. Employers that are applicable large employers (ALEs) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) may have additional concerns. Communicating potential consequences to employees will encourage them to take the open enrollment deadline more seriously. Comprehensive coverage for your business, property, and employees. 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. Everything You Need Is Inside! Help employees save for retirement and reduce taxable income. The official dates are [DATE] to [DATE]. Unless youre a financial expert or HR professional, figuring out retirement plans is no walk in the park. Open enrollment can be an extremely stressful and overwhelming time for both you and your employees. The date coverage starts depends on when you lose coverage and the date a plan is selected. 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. Subject Line: Lets Talk Benefits! Sending out the open enrollment email to employees is just the first step. And missing the deadline can have serious consequences for your employeesincluding loss of coverage or the inability to change coverage options. Information sessions and benefits fairs are among other steps to ensure every employee can decide their health benefits. But if not enough people participate in the program, the company may also not see the benefits. Russ continues to support districts across the state with their risk management programs. In. Legally, employers are not required to do anything for employees who have missed the open enrollment deadline. 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. 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. 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. 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.