How Do I Distribute Employee Benefit Notices?

In Part 1 of this two-part series, we discussed the importance of the WRAP documents an Employer must have on hand in order to comply with federal ERISA law. In this blog post, we will focus more on the benefit notices, both State and Federal, which are geared toward informing employees of their rights.

Which notices employers must distribute to their employees and at what time can vary tremendously based on employer size, location, benefit choices offered, and many other variables. For that reason, the software we use to help us create Employee Benefit Notices uses a detailed questionnaire to determine which exact notices must be distributed. Once these documents are compiled, they are organized into a single PDF file which contains all the necessary notifications. The PDFs can range from about 30-50 pages.

Because these documents are large, employers will want to consider the best means of distribution. For our clients currently using our complimentary online enrollment portal, we often suggest embedding them in during the enrollment process. Our system can require each employee open the document prior to being able to complete their enrollment. This will provide proof that each employee not only had access to the document, but actually opened it. This is a preferred method of distribution.  If email is a routine means of communication in your firm, this may be an option as well, but proof of receipt is recommended. If all else fails, you can always print the form and hand deliver it to your employees. Some employers using this method get an employee signature acknowledging receipt.

As always, if you have any questions about this process, or we can help in any way please reach out - Call us at (805) 687 - 3225, or send us an email at info@petersmilam.com. We can't wait to hear from you!

-Dave Peters