Six free open enrollment announcement templates for small business: a save-the-date, the enrollment announcement, a midpoint reminder, a final-day message, a post-enrollment confirmation, and short versions for printed letters, Slack, SMS, and a break room poster. Active and passive enrollment wording included. Fill-in-the-blank DOCX. No signup.
An open enrollment announcement tells employees the benefits window is open, what they can choose, what is changing, and when the deadline hits. The version that works is not one email. It is a short sequence, because a single message sent once gets buried under a busy week, and in an active enrollment year a missed deadline can leave someone without coverage for twelve months.
There are six templates here: a save-the-date, the announcement itself, a midpoint reminder, a final-day message, a post-enrollment confirmation, and short versions for a printed letter, Slack or Teams, SMS, and a break room poster. Every email comes in both active and passive enrollment wording. Each downloads as an editable Word document, free and without an email. For the wider picture of what you are enrolling people into, the small business benefits guide covers the options.
TL;DR
An open enrollment announcement needs five things: the three dates, whether action is required, what is changing, how to enroll, and who to ask. Download six free templates as DOCX: save the date, kickoff, midpoint reminder, final day, confirmation, and short letter, Slack, SMS, and poster versions. Every email includes both active and passive wording, since that changes the message entirely. The line most often left out is what happens if the employee does nothing. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
What an Open Enrollment Announcement Is
It is the internal message telling employees the annual benefits window is opening, what they can select, what has changed, and by when they have to decide. It is employer communication rather than a legal notice, though it usually travels with required notices attached.
The announcement carries more weight than its length suggests, because most people do not revisit their benefits at any other point in the year. Whatever they choose in this window is what they live with, so the quality of the explanation determines whether they choose well. For the mechanics of the enrollment process itself, the benefits enrollment overview covers how it works end to end.
Say What Happens If They Do Nothing
The sentence most often missing from an open enrollment email is the consequence of inaction, and it is the one that actually drives completion. In an active enrollment year, doing nothing usually means no coverage. In a passive year, doing nothing usually means current elections roll forward, with the common exception of flexible spending accounts, which typically require a new election annually. Employees cannot weigh a deadline they do not understand. Put the consequence in the announcement, the reminder, and the final message, stated plainly. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
The Five-Message Sequence
Most competing templates give you one email. One email is what gets missed. The sequence below spreads the same information across the window so it reaches people who were on vacation, on leave, or simply busy on the day it launched.
Save the Date
Two weeks before
A short heads up so nobody is surprised. Flags whether anything is changing this year and asks people to think about their coverage before the window opens. Nothing to do yet.
Enrollment Is Open
Day one, the main one
The full announcement: what is changing, what can be changed, how to enroll, key dates, and where to ask questions. Written in both active and passive enrollment versions.
Midpoint Reminder
Halfway through
A nudge with a countdown, plus the three questions people actually ask. Separates those who have already enrolled from those who have not, so it does not read as spam.
Final Deadline
Last day
Short and specific about the closing time and the consequence of missing it. This is the one that converts, so it says plainly what happens if nothing is submitted.
Confirmation
After it closes
Summarizes the elections, the per-paycheck cost, and when coverage starts, and explains that changes now require a qualifying life event. The message competitors skip entirely.
Letter, Slack, SMS, Poster
For everyone not at a desk
The same announcement as a printed letter, a chat message, three text messages, and a break room poster, for teams where email alone will not reach everybody.
Queue the Whole Sequence Up Front
Write and schedule all five messages before the first one goes out. Reminders are the part that slips, because the midpoint of the enrollment window is a normal working week with its own problems, and nobody wakes up remembering to send the benefits nudge. Scheduling everything in advance takes about twenty extra minutes and removes the failure mode entirely. If your email tool cannot schedule, put calendar reminders with the draft text pasted into the invite. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
6 Free Open Enrollment Announcement Templates
Download all six together or take individual messages. The five emails run in order across the enrollment window; the sixth file holds short versions of the same announcement for a printed letter, a chat message, three text messages, and a poster.
Download All 6 Open Enrollment Templates
Save the date, enrollment announcement, midpoint reminder, final day, confirmation, and short letter, Slack, SMS, and poster versions. All as DOCX files in one download.
Template 1: Save the Date
A short heads up two weeks out, flagging whether anything is changing this year and asking people to think about their coverage before the window opens. Nothing to do yet.
Email 1: Save the Date (Two Weeks Before)
Subject: Open enrollment starts [start date]. Here is what to expect.
Hi [First Name],
Open enrollment for [plan year] benefits opens on [start date] and closes on
[end date]. Nothing is required from you today. This is a heads up so you have
time to think before the window opens.
WHAT IS CHANGING
[Pick the line that applies and delete the rest.]
•Nothing significant is changing this year. Your plan options and your share of
the cost are staying about the same.
•A few things are changing this year, including [brief plain-language summary,
for example: the medical plan deductible, the employee cost per paycheck, or
the addition of a dental option]. Full details will come with the enrollment
announcement on [start date].
•We are switching carriers this year, so everyone will need to make an active
selection. More on that on [start date].
WHAT TO DO BEFORE [START DATE]
•Think about whether your coverage still fits, especially if you got married,
had a child, or added a dependent this year.
•Check that your dependents' information is current.
•Note the deadline: [end date]. Elections cannot be changed afterward unless
you have a qualifying life event.
Questions ahead of time are welcome. Reply to this email or reach out to
[contact name] at [contact details].
[Sender name]
[Title]
DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template for general information only and is not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern. Confirm your dates,
eligibility rules, and required notices with your benefits broker or carrier
before sending.
Template 2: Open Enrollment Is Open
The main announcement, with what is changing, what can be changed, how to enroll, the key dates, and where to ask questions. Written in both active and passive enrollment versions.
Email 2: Open Enrollment Is Open
Subject: Open enrollment is open. Complete your elections by [end date].
Hi [First Name],
Open enrollment for [plan year] is now open. It closes on [end date].
[Choose one:]
ACTIVE ENROLLMENT: Everyone must make a selection this year, including if you
want to keep what you have. If you do not complete your enrollment by
[end date], you will [state the consequence: have no coverage for [plan year] /
be enrolled in default coverage only].
PASSIVE ENROLLMENT: If you are happy with your current coverage and want no
changes, you do not need to do anything. Your current elections will carry over
into [plan year]. You only need to act if you want to change something, or if
you want to [state any exception: contribute to an FSA, which requires a new
election every year].
WHAT YOU CAN CHANGE
•[Medical plan option]
•[Dental and vision]
•[Life and disability coverage]
•[Flexible spending or health savings account contributions]
•[Add or remove dependents]
WHAT IS CHANGING FOR [PLAN YEAR]
•[Change 1, in plain language, with the dollar impact per paycheck if you know
it]
•[Change 2]
•[If nothing is changing, say so plainly. That is useful information.]
HOW TO ENROLL
1. Go to [system, link, or "the enrollment form attached to this email"]
2. [Log in with / complete] [instructions]
3. Review each benefit and make your selections
4. Submit and save or print your confirmation
It takes about [number] minutes.
KEY DATES
•Enrollment opens: [start date]
•Enrollment closes: [end date]
•Coverage begins: [effective date]
•[Optional: Benefits overview session on [date and time], [where]]
QUESTIONS
Contact [name] at [email or phone]. [Optional: our broker, [name], can also help
at [contact].]
[Sender name]
[Title]
Attached: [Summary of Benefits and Coverage, plan comparison, required notices]
DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template for general information only and is not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern. Certain notices must
accompany enrollment materials, so confirm your requirements with your broker or
carrier before sending.
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A countdown nudge with the three questions employees actually ask, separating those who have already enrolled from those who have not so it does not read as another all-staff blast.
Email 3: Midpoint Reminder
Subject: [Number] days left to complete your benefits enrollment
Hi [First Name],
A quick reminder: open enrollment closes on [end date], which is [number] days
from now.
[Choose one:]
•Our records show you have not completed your enrollment yet.
•If you have already enrolled, thank you, and you can ignore this message.
[If active enrollment:]
Remember that a selection is required this year, even to keep your current
coverage. If you do not enroll by [end date], you will [consequence].
[If passive enrollment:]
If you are happy with your current coverage, you do not need to do anything.
Act only if you want to change something [or: or if you want to contribute to an
FSA next year, which requires a new election annually].
THE THREE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS
1. [Question, for example: How much will this come out of each paycheck?]
[Short answer.]
2. [Question, for example: Can I add my spouse?]
[Short answer.]
3. [Question, for example: What happens if I miss the deadline?]
[Short answer, usually: elections cannot be changed until the next open
enrollment unless you have a qualifying life event such as marriage, birth,
adoption, or loss of other coverage.]
Enroll here: [link or instructions]
Need help? Contact [name] at [contact]. It takes about [number] minutes.
[Sender name]
[Title]
DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template for general information only and is not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern. Confirm your dates and
rules with your broker or carrier before sending.
Template 4: Final Deadline
Short and specific about the closing time and what happens if nothing is submitted. This is the message that converts, so it states the consequence plainly rather than hinting at it.
Email 4: Final Deadline
Subject: Last day. Benefits enrollment closes today at [time].
Hi [First Name],
Open enrollment closes today, [end date], at [time].
[Choose one:]
•Our records show your enrollment is not complete.
•If you have already submitted your elections, you are all set and can ignore
this message.
[If active enrollment:]
If you do not enroll by [time] today, you will [consequence, stated plainly: for
example, have no [company] medical coverage for [plan year], and the next
opportunity to enroll will be [next open enrollment / when you have a qualifying
life event]].
[If passive enrollment:]
If you take no action, your current elections carry into [plan year]. Act today
only if you want something different [or: or if you want an FSA for [plan year]].
Enroll now: [link or instructions]
If you are stuck or cannot access the system, contact [name] at [phone or email]
right away and we will help you get it done before the deadline.
[Sender name]
[Title]
DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template for general information only and is not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern. Confirm the consequences
of missing the deadline against your plan rules before stating them.
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Summarizes the elections, the cost per paycheck, and when coverage starts, and explains that changes now require a qualifying life event. Almost no competing template set includes this one.
Email 5: Post-Enrollment Confirmation
Subject: Your [plan year] benefits are confirmed
Hi [First Name],
Open enrollment is closed and your [plan year] elections are confirmed. Here is
a summary for your records.
YOUR ELECTIONS
•Medical: [plan name and tier, for example: employee only, employee plus
spouse, family]
•Dental: [plan or "waived"]
•Vision: [plan or "waived"]
•[Life and disability]: [amount or "waived"]
•[FSA or HSA]: $[amount] for the year, which is about $[amount] per paycheck
•Covered dependents: [names]
Your total cost per paycheck: $[amount], starting with the [date] paycheck.
WHEN COVERAGE STARTS
Your [plan year] coverage begins on [effective date]. [Your current coverage
continues through [date] / New ID cards will arrive by [date], mailed to your
home address on file.]
IF SOMETHING LOOKS WRONG
Contact [name] at [contact] by [date]. Once the plan year begins, elections can
only be changed if you have a qualifying life event, such as marriage, divorce,
the birth or adoption of a child, or a loss of other coverage. Report a
qualifying life event within [number] days of it happening.
Thanks for getting this done.
[Sender name]
[Title]
DISCLAIMER: This is a sample template for general information only and is not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern, and qualifying-event
windows vary by plan. Confirm details with your broker or carrier.
Template 6: Letter, Slack, SMS, and Poster Versions
The same announcement as a printed letter for employees without regular email access, a chat message, three short text messages, and a break room poster with space for a QR code.
Short Versions: Letter, Slack, SMS, and Poster
Four short-format versions for the same announcement. Use alongside the emails,
not instead of them.
PRINTED LETTER, FOR EMPLOYEES WITHOUT REGULAR EMAIL ACCESS
[Company Letterhead]
[Date]
Dear [Employee Name],
It is time to choose your benefits for [plan year].
Open enrollment runs from [start date] to [end date]. Coverage begins on
[effective date].
[Active: You must complete an enrollment form this year, even if you want to
keep what you have now. If we do not receive your form by [end date], you will
[consequence].]
[Passive: If you want to keep your current coverage, no action is needed. Return
a form only if you want to make a change.]
Enclosed you will find [the enrollment form, a plan comparison, and required
notices]. Return your completed form to [name] at [location] by [end date].
If you have questions or want help completing the form, contact [name] at
[phone]. We are glad to walk through it with you.
Sincerely,
__
[Name], [Title]
SLACK OR TEAMS MESSAGE
Open enrollment for [plan year] is live and closes [end date].
[Active: Everyone needs to make a selection, even to keep your current plan.]
[Passive: No action needed unless you want to change something.]
What is changing: [one line, or "nothing significant this year"]
How long it takes: about [number] minutes
Where to go: [link]
Deadline: [end date]
Questions go to [name or channel]. Reminders on [date] and [date].
SMS OR TEXT MESSAGE
Announcement (keep under 160 characters):
[Company]: Benefits open enrollment is open through [end date]. Enroll at
[short link]. Questions: [phone].
Reminder:
[Company]: [Number] days left to enroll in [plan year] benefits. Deadline
[end date]. [short link]
Final day:
[Company]: Today is the last day to enroll in benefits. Closes [time].
[short link]
BREAK ROOM POSTER OR FLYER
OPEN ENROLLMENT
[START DATE] TO [END DATE]
Choose your [plan year] health benefits
WHAT: Medical, dental, vision [and other benefits]
WHEN: Enroll by [end date]
WHERE: [link, QR code, or "see [name] for a paper form"]
HOW LONG: About [number] minutes
[Active: A selection is required this year.]
[Passive: No action needed to keep your current plan.]
Questions? Ask [name] at [location or phone].
Coverage begins [effective date].
DISCLAIMER: These are sample templates for general information only and are not
legal or benefits advice. Your plan documents govern. Short-format messages
should not replace the required notices and enrollment materials.
What Every Announcement Includes
Four groups cover it. Anything beyond these is optional detail, and anything missing from these is a question landing in your inbox next week.
The three dates
When enrollment opens
When it closes, with the time
When coverage actually starts
Whether action is required
Active: everyone must elect
Passive: silence means carry over
What happens if they do nothing
What is changing
Plan or carrier changes
Cost change per paycheck
Or a clear 'nothing major' line
How to get it done
Where to enroll, step by step
How long it takes
Who to ask for help
Two notes on the dates. State the closing time, not just the date, because otherwise the last day is genuinely ambiguous and someone will submit at midnight. And separate the enrollment deadline from the coverage start date, since employees routinely conflate the two and assume new coverage is live the moment they submit.
Active vs Passive Enrollment
This single decision changes the wording of every message. In active enrollment, everyone must make a selection, including people keeping exactly what they have. In passive enrollment, current elections carry forward and employees act only to change something.
Active enrollment
Passive enrollment
What employees must do
Everyone makes a selection, even to keep current coverage
Nothing, unless they want a change
If they do nothing
Usually no coverage, or default coverage only
Current elections carry into the new plan year
Common reason to use it
Carrier or plan design changed, or you want deliberate review
Little is changing and you want minimal disruption
Communication load
Heavy: every message must push for completion
Lighter: messages focus on what changed
The trap to watch
One missed email can mean an uncovered employee
Flexible spending elections usually do not carry over
The passive trap deserves a sentence in your announcement whatever else you write. Flexible spending account elections generally have to be made fresh each year, so an employee who correctly assumes their medical coverage rolls forward can silently lose their FSA by doing nothing. Name it explicitly rather than relying on people to know.
When to Send Each Message
Employer open enrollment dates are set by the employer, not by any federal calendar, so the schedule below is relative to your own window rather than to a fixed month. Most employers with a plan year beginning January 1 run enrollment in the fall.
Message
When to send
The job it does
Save the date
About two weeks before the window opens
Removes surprise and gives people time to think
Enrollment is open
The morning the window opens
Delivers the full detail and the how-to
Midpoint reminder
Halfway through the window
Catches anyone who was away or busy at launch
Final deadline
The morning of the last day
Converts the procrastinators, names the closing time
Confirmation
Within a few days of closing
Documents elections and heads off March questions
On window length: two weeks is the workable default. One week is tight for anyone on vacation or leave. A month tends to produce procrastination rather than better decisions, and it stretches the reminder sequence so thin that people forget between messages.
The Notices That Go With It
The announcement is communication, not compliance, but certain required notices travel with enrollment materials. This is where small employers most often have a gap, usually because they assume the carrier or broker has it covered.
Summary of Benefits and Coverage
The SBC is the one most directly tied to the announcement itself, because it has to reach participants who enroll or reenroll during an open enrollment period. It is a standardized summary of what the plan covers and what it costs, capped at four double-sided pages, which makes it genuinely useful to employees rather than boilerplate. In many small businesses the carrier or third-party administrator produces and distributes it, which is convenient but does not transfer the obligation: if they do not send it, it falls back on the employer. Confirm who is sending it before enrollment opens rather than assuming, and attach it to the enrollment announcement so the employee has the plan details at the moment they are choosing. This is general information, not legal advice.
Medicare Part D creditable coverage
If your plan includes prescription drug coverage, you must tell Medicare-eligible individuals each year whether that coverage is creditable, meaning at least as good as standard Part D coverage, or non-creditable. The deadline is before October 15, which is when the Medicare annual enrollment period begins, and that timing is why many employers bundle their annual notices into the same mailing. There is no direct employer penalty for missing it, but the consequence lands on the employee: without the notice they may not know to enroll in Part D, and a late enrollment can permanently raise their premium. Note this applies to any Medicare-eligible person on the plan, including a covered spouse, not only to employees over 65. Model notices are published by CMS. This is general information, not legal advice.
The annual notices worth bundling
Several notices have to go out annually but not on any particular date, so employers typically combine them with enrollment materials for convenience. The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act notice, covering mastectomy-related benefits, goes out at enrollment and annually thereafter. The CHIP notice, telling employees about premium assistance available in states that offer it, is also annual. The HIPAA special enrollment rights notice explains the circumstances that allow mid-year changes. Bundling them into one distribution timed to the Medicare Part D deadline is a common and sensible approach for a small business, because it turns four separate obligations into one task. Keep a dated record of what was sent and when. This is general information, not legal advice.
When the plan itself changes
If you are changing plan design or cost for the coming year, the announcement is not sufficient on its own. Material changes have to be reflected in an updated Summary Plan Description or communicated through a Summary of Material Modifications, and those are separate documents from a friendly email about enrollment. This is the point where a small business most often has a gap, because the plan change feels adequately communicated by the announcement that explains it. It is not. Ask your broker specifically which documents are being updated for the change and who is producing them, and make sure the timing works so employees have the information before they have to choose. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Two Dates Worth Writing Down
The Summary of Benefits and Coverage must go to participants who enroll or reenroll during an open enrollment period, which ties it directly to your announcement. The Medicare Part D creditable coverage notice must reach Medicare-eligible individuals before October 15 each year, which is why many employers bundle their annual notices into that mailing. The Department of Labor publishes model language and compliance guidance for health plans (DOL EBSA). This is general information, not legal advice.
The practical move for a small business is a single conversation with your broker before enrollment opens, asking which notices they produce and send, which ones fall to you, and what date each goes out. Write the answer down. That one conversation closes most of the gap.
Running It Without an HR Department
A large employer runs open enrollment through a benefits team, a communications calendar, and an enrollment platform that tracks who has finished. A twenty-person business has an owner or office manager sending emails between other work, with no way to see who has enrolled except by asking.
That constraint shapes what actually works. Write the sequence once and reuse it every year, changing only the dates and the list of what is different. Pick one person as the named contact rather than routing questions to a shared inbox, because a name gets asked and an inbox gets ignored. And if your enrollment system cannot tell you who has finished, keep a simple list and check names off, since a targeted nudge to four people beats a fourth all-staff email to forty.
The Meeting Is Worth More Than the Email
For a small team, a single thirty-minute session where your broker walks through the plan options and answers questions live does more than any email sequence. People ask what they are actually confused about, everyone hears the answers, and the questions that would have arrived one at a time over three weeks get handled at once. Record it or write a short summary for anyone who cannot attend, then let the emails carry the dates and the logistics. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
Send, Track, and File
The sequence works when it is scheduled in advance, delivered where people will see it, and followed by a record of what everyone chose.
Fill in the five variables
Dates, active or passive, what is changing, where to enroll, and who to ask. Everything else in the templates already works.
Schedule the whole sequence
Queue all five messages before the first one goes out, so the reminders happen whether or not anyone remembers them.
Reach people off email too
Add the poster, the chat message, or a printed letter for anyone who does not check work email regularly.
Keep the confirmations
Store each employee's elections and the confirmation message, so a question in March has a documented answer.
The templates above work on their own. To run it without chasing people by email, FirstHR distributes the announcement to the right employees, tracks who has opened and acknowledged it, stores the confirmation and elections against the employee profile, and keeps the enrollment documents with the rest of their records in the employee file. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, not a benefits broker, a carrier, or a law firm: it does not administer plans, process elections, or produce required notices, so pair it with your broker for those. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
An open enrollment announcement works as a sequence, not one email: save the date, kickoff, midpoint reminder, final day, and confirmation.
Every message needs the three dates, whether action is required, what is changing, how to enroll, and a named person to ask.
State the consequence of doing nothing, since that is the line that drives completion and the one most often left out.
Active enrollment requires a selection from everyone; passive carries elections forward, but flexible spending elections usually do not roll over.
The Summary of Benefits and Coverage goes to anyone enrolling or reenrolling, and the Medicare Part D creditable coverage notice is due before October 15.
Reach people off email with a printed letter, a poster, a chat message, or a text. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an open enrollment announcement?
An open enrollment announcement is the internal message an employer sends telling employees that the annual benefits enrollment window is opening, what they can choose, what is changing, how to enroll, and by when. It is employer-to-employee communication, not a legal notice, though it usually travels alongside required notices such as the Summary of Benefits and Coverage. In practice it works best as a short sequence rather than a single email: a heads up before the window opens, the announcement itself, a reminder partway through, a final-day message, and a confirmation once elections are locked in. The reason for the sequence is simple: a single email sent once gets missed, and a missed deadline in an active enrollment year can leave someone without coverage. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
What should an open enrollment email include?
Five things, and the templates on this page are built around them. First, the three dates: when enrollment opens, when it closes including the time of day, and when coverage actually starts. Second, whether action is required, which depends on whether you run active or passive enrollment, and what happens if the employee does nothing. Third, what is changing, in plain language and with the per-paycheck dollar impact if you know it, or a clear statement that nothing significant is changing. Fourth, how to enroll: where to go, the steps, and roughly how long it takes. Fifth, who to ask for help, named specifically rather than a generic inbox. Everything else is optional. What people most often leave out is the consequence of inaction, which is the part that actually drives completion. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
What is the difference between active and passive enrollment?
In active enrollment, every employee must make a selection during the window, including those who want to keep exactly what they have. If they do nothing, they typically end up with no coverage or with default coverage only. In passive enrollment, current elections carry forward automatically and employees act only if they want to change something. The distinction changes the wording of every message you send, which is why the templates here include both versions. Active enrollment is often used when carriers or plan designs are changing, or when an employer wants everyone to review their choices deliberately; it produces better data but demands much more communication. One common trap in passive years: flexible spending account elections usually do not carry over and require a new election annually, so say so explicitly. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
When should I send the open enrollment announcement?
Send a save-the-date about two weeks before the window opens, the main announcement on the day it opens, a reminder around the midpoint, and a final message on the last day. A post-enrollment confirmation goes out once elections are locked. Employer open enrollment dates are set by the employer, not by any federal calendar, though most employers with a plan year starting January 1 hold enrollment in the fall. The length of the window matters as much as the timing: two weeks is common and workable, one week is tight for anyone on vacation or leave, and a month tends to produce procrastination rather than better decisions. Whatever you choose, schedule the whole sequence in advance so the reminders go out even during a busy week. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
What notices have to go with open enrollment materials?
The one tied most directly to enrollment is the Summary of Benefits and Coverage, which must reach participants who enroll or reenroll during an open enrollment period. Several other notices are annual rather than enrollment-specific, and employers commonly bundle them with enrollment materials for convenience: the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act notice, the CHIP premium assistance notice, and the HIPAA special enrollment rights notice. Separately, if your plan includes prescription drug coverage, Medicare-eligible individuals must be told each year before October 15 whether that coverage is creditable. If you are changing plan design or cost, that also has to be reflected in an updated Summary Plan Description or a Summary of Material Modifications. Ask your broker who is producing and sending each one. This is general information, not legal advice.
How do I reach employees who do not use email?
Use more than one channel, which is the practical reality for any business with a warehouse, kitchen, shop floor, or field crew. A printed letter handed out with a paycheck or mailed home reaches people reliably and creates a record. A poster in the break room with a QR code works as a persistent reminder rather than a message that scrolls away. A short text message is the highest-open-rate channel available, provided you have consent to text employees and keep it brief. A chat message in Slack or Teams reaches desk workers who ignore internal email. The templates on this page include all four short formats using the same content as the emails, so the message stays consistent regardless of where someone sees it. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
What happens if an employee misses the enrollment deadline?
It depends on whether you run active or passive enrollment, and the answer should be stated plainly in your announcement rather than left vague. In a passive year, missing the deadline usually means current elections continue into the new plan year, with the common exception of flexible spending accounts, which typically require a new election annually. In an active year, missing the deadline typically means no coverage for the plan year, or default coverage only if your plan provides one. Either way, elections generally cannot be changed mid-year unless the employee has a qualifying life event such as marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, or the loss of other coverage, and those changes usually must be reported within a set number of days. Confirm your own plan's rules before stating consequences. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
How many reminders should I send?
Three messages after the initial announcement is the sensible ceiling for most small businesses: a save-the-date before, a midpoint reminder, and a final-day message. That is enough repetition to reach people who were on vacation or buried in a busy week, without training everyone to ignore benefits emails. Two things make reminders substantially more effective. First, distinguish between people who have already enrolled and those who have not, even if only with a line saying to ignore the message if already done, because undifferentiated nagging is what makes reminders invisible. Second, make the final message genuinely final and specific, naming the closing time and the consequence. If you can track completion, a targeted reminder to the handful who have not enrolled beats another all-staff email. This is general information, not legal or benefits advice.
