Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Health Insurance Benefits Question
Hi ladies. I'm hoping someone here is familiar with HR policies and can help me out.... I started a job in mid-October. Around the beginning of December, the HR woman in charge of health insurance benefits came to meet with myself and a few other employees who started just before me. We have a 90-day waiting period for benefits, so I was told that mine would start Feb. 1. Well, I already had a different health insurance plan, so I felt no particular rush to fill out these forms. In fact, I emailed the woman at the beginning of December asking if I could receive cash instead of the health insurance coverage, and she never replied to me, which furthered my impression that this was not something urgent.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago...I actually need the health insurance now, so I filled out the forms and turned them in. After much back-and-forth (meaning me calling HR multiple times and them avoiding me and neglecting to call me back), I was told that I only had a small window of time to enroll in the health insurance plan, just before Feb. 1. I was never informed of this--I was told that my benefits started Feb. 1, but not that it was a "limited time special offer, so act fast!" < /s> So, they are now claiming that I can't enroll in the health insurance plan until next October. I asked if I could receive the cash equivalent of what they would have contributed to my health insurance and was told no.
Basically, I feel like I'm being screwed out of a benefit that is in my contract due to HR's incompetence and lack of communication with me. Do I have any recourse here? Is it pretty standard that there's only a small window to enroll in a health insurance plan? This is the first job I've had with benefits, so it's all new to me....
Re: Health Insurance Benefits Question
And most places only allow you to enroll/change your plan during open enrollment period (yours must be in October), or if there is a life changing event (your spouse loses their benefits, you have a baby, or you're new.....which you were, but you're not now).
This was your screw up. Employers with group policies have only certain times when you can change your health insurance, including adding or dropping coverage. During open enrollment, which is typically once a year, all employees can make changes to their insurance policy. Otherwise, to make a change, there must have been a life changing event (marriage, birth of a child) or you must be a new hire, and the employee must elect to add the person within a certain time frame.
This is pretty common knowledge and is probably outlined in an employee handbook or other written material that you have. You will now have to wait until open enrollment comes around to get coverage.
Regarding asking for cash instead of health insurance coverage, this is something you should have negotiated when discussing salary after receiving an offer. You can't just go to HR and say that you want cash instead of health insurance.
They aren't screwing you out of anything. It was actually your own fault it wasn't done. I understand it was your first job, but you can't just sit on stuff. It is common that employers only let you have a small window to enroll. They never said anything, because most people either take or not take the health insurance. Saying it started feb 1 ment if you wanted it you would need to have enrolled by then. Otherwise they usually just have 1 month per year that you are able to make changes. The only time you can outside of that 1 month is if you have children, get married, or divorced. Otherwise you need to wait until then.
Also, I wouldn't expect them to pay you for the health insurance money. This is a benefit to you. Just because you have your own insurance doesn't mean that you get that money added to your paycheck. If you want to go on their plan then you'll have to wait until the open enrollment otherwise stick with what insurance you have.
I am guessing it was communicated to you in some way....but if you are new to benefits, you might have missed it. Not to say you are lying, just that it was likely one a mailing or a hand out or something that maybe got passed by because you didn?t think you needed to look at. I get that you are new to this and missed something important, but you?re going to get no sympathy from HR by acting like they screwed you.
You may be able to get it if you now need it because of a life changing event?I was not aware of the ?if you spouse lost their coverage? aspect that was mentioned above, but if that is the case, maybe you can work in that way?.maybe tell HR benefits specialist why you need it now, but did not need it 7 months ago it might fit as a life changing event.
I recommend this site for online comparing: http://www.quotes-center.com/average-cost-of-health-insurance