Insurance Paperwork
Mel in CO
54 Posts
I have a problem / disagreement with my boss that I would like to gain opinions about.
Recently, my company went through our annual insurance renewal period. Everything went well considering about a 23% increase in health benefits. All of the employees (a total of 33) completed their health and dental insurance enrollment forms and turned them into to me on the date that I requested them back.
Here is my problem; about 1 week after our insurance renewal was complete, my boss proposed that I completed all employees’ insurance paperwork in the future. He stated that he would like me to complete the paperwork for them and basically have them sign on the dotted line. My issue with that proposal is that I feel employees need to complete the paperwork themselves so that they understand the full process of how the insurance “ball” works. Also, I think that employees need to make their own decisions; I already do a lot for them to help make a decision (i.e. benefit statements, presentations; they are able to contact me at home on the weekend if they are discussing benefits with their spouses, etc.) In addition, he would like me to also fill out 401(k) enrollment paperwork – AHH!
My boss is convinced that many HR departments’ complete employees’ insurance paperwork for them and his view was that he doesn’t “want to pay two people to complete insurance paperwork – that is what I [he] pay me to do”.
As a solution to the problem, I am thinking about coming to a meeting of the minds and developing a page(s) on our company web site and have employees enroll on-line since I know that is actually what most companies do.
What is everyone’s thought on this situation?
Recently, my company went through our annual insurance renewal period. Everything went well considering about a 23% increase in health benefits. All of the employees (a total of 33) completed their health and dental insurance enrollment forms and turned them into to me on the date that I requested them back.
Here is my problem; about 1 week after our insurance renewal was complete, my boss proposed that I completed all employees’ insurance paperwork in the future. He stated that he would like me to complete the paperwork for them and basically have them sign on the dotted line. My issue with that proposal is that I feel employees need to complete the paperwork themselves so that they understand the full process of how the insurance “ball” works. Also, I think that employees need to make their own decisions; I already do a lot for them to help make a decision (i.e. benefit statements, presentations; they are able to contact me at home on the weekend if they are discussing benefits with their spouses, etc.) In addition, he would like me to also fill out 401(k) enrollment paperwork – AHH!
My boss is convinced that many HR departments’ complete employees’ insurance paperwork for them and his view was that he doesn’t “want to pay two people to complete insurance paperwork – that is what I [he] pay me to do”.
As a solution to the problem, I am thinking about coming to a meeting of the minds and developing a page(s) on our company web site and have employees enroll on-line since I know that is actually what most companies do.
What is everyone’s thought on this situation?
Comments
I agree that if you do it for them, most will trust you to have read their minds and won't check what you filled out. Whose problem will it be if you didn't know they wanted to make a change or you marked the wrong box?
You don't have to pay an employee for the time they spend with the forms - they can take them home or do it on a break, can't they?
I do try to make it as easy as possible for them by hilighting the areas they need to complete.
My thought is the same as yours; I think that the employee should complete the paperwork at home or on a break. I gave them a 7 day lag time between the insurance presentation and the time that I needed the forms back. I think that it is the most beneficial to the employee to take the paperwork home and fill it out with their spouses. I feel they can make a better / more informed decision.
(I know my HR colleagues in this area do not complete paperwork for employees, either.)
Your boss may have a point if HR's only function is to shuffle paperwork. If you do spend time contributing to the bottom line, I would argue that your wasting your time. Good luck, your boss sounds like a winner. x:D
highlighting the employee's options is more than enough.
ps/i'm the plan administrator and can tell you that you are putting the company is law suit danger if any problems arise.
Determining dependent coverage issues is a biggie, plus if anything is wrong or some election turned against the EE, guess who is on the hook?
For instance, we complete the group name, ID, Group information (date of ee hire, entered eligible class). We complete the ee information and the prior coverage information (if they were covered under a previous plan of ours). The ee completes the enrollment information, medicare info if applicable, other coverage info and signs and dates the application. With our dental insurer, we did the enrollment electronically & just kept the signed doc's for file. We do it as a service, but, we are a small company of about 108 folks, so it's easier to do than for larger companies.
I worked for a large office furniture manufacturer, about 40% of the 400+ employees did not speak or write English. They would bring their apartment rental forms, legal documents, various forms and letters to HR. My supervisor gave our department the directive that we were to complete all of the forms, work related or not. That way our employees produce more and are not worrying about what a letter said or filling out silly forms.
Well we closed our plant, we released a bunch of people who can't fill out simple forms. Who will help them now??? No one! This was bad for the employees and made them less desirable than those who could complete simple forms.
Now having a year and a half to think about it. It was wrong then and wrong now.
In my new position I just don't do it. People have to know how to get around in the world and I do them no favors by doing by doing it all for them.
In Europe, by comparison, a person can drive just a couple of hours and cross more than one border. You could quickly encounter the need to speak German, French, English, Spanish, Portugese, Italian, etc, etc.
I am a proponent of English in the workplace, but I recognize a growing necessity to speak Spanish just to be able to know what it going on around me. Sadly my 6th and 7th grade spanish classes have not served me well in this regard. Perhaps I should take some Spanish as a second language classes?
I am a strong proponent of English only in the workplace and paying for ESL courses for our employees and am working toward that goal for safety purposes among other things. However, since starting this class, I have been able to convey simple messages to our employees without stupid handsignals or speaking like I"m talking to a 2 year old. It's been a good feeling actually.
I am still encouraging those folks to take ESL - they live here, they should speak the language to a passable level at least. I can't translate every form they have to fill out.
Tammy
Everyone above is correct. If you complete the paperwork and something is wrong, it will be your fault even thought they signed it. You know people don't read what they sign. Your completing the forms for them is not a good idea.