This article explains how PEO employees whose employers offer benefits can sign up for benefits packages on Deel.
Benefits enrollments are managed through the Deel platform. On Deel, PEO employees can access benefits enrollment, record qualifying life events, and review existing coverage plans.
Deel will handle all enrollment, contribution, and deduction data for benefits providers and for payroll processing. Employees can only enroll for benefits during open enrollment (new client), new hire enrollment (existing client, new hire), or in the case of a qualifying life event.
In this article:
Deadlines for benefits enrollment
Reviewing and submitting your benefit elections
Deadlines for benefits enrollment
For PEO employees, deadlines are tied to the onboarding process.
There are different deadlines depending on if their company is already using Deel or if the company has newly partnered with Deel.
If an employee misses a deadline for benefits enrollment, the employee will not be able to enroll for benefits until either a qualifying life event (QLE) occurs or a new enrollment period is opened.
New enrollment periods typically open in the new calendar year.
Exemptions are granted for extenuating circumstances only, for example, extreme cases where the employee really could not submit on time.
There are two types of benefits enrollment:
- Benefits Open Enrollment: This is for new clients. In this scenario, this PEO Launch Calendar is followed.
- Benefits New Hire Enrollment: This is for new hires of existing clients. In this scenario, the new hire has 30 days until their start date to elect benefits.
Accessing Your Benefits Tools
✅ Step 1 - Navigate to the Benefits Tab
The benefits tab will only appear on an employee's Deel account if:
- The employer offers a benefits package and the employee is eligible for benefits.
- The employee has completed 100% of their onboarding.
- The benefits enrollment window is open.
Benefits Enrollment: To view and complete any open benefits enrollments, employees must click on Manage Benefits in the Benefits tab. This action will display all available enrollment options that need their attention
Your benefits dashboard will show:
-
Benefits: This section shows any currently active benefit enrollments. For example, if the employee's last enrollment became active on February 1, the tile will show the elected benefits from February 1 onwards.
- Note: These are benefits that the employee has elected through Deel PEO. If the employee has benefits through a medical carve-out (not through Deel PEO), they will not be shown in this section.
- Life Events: This section enables the employee to record any qualifying life event that makes them eligible to enroll for benefits.
For existing benefits listed under Benefits, a tile will list the effective dates. Employees can click the "View Benefits Summary" button within the tile for more details, including if those benefits are Section 125, which means that the benefit is a pre-tax deduction.
✅ Step 2 - Review offerings
Click on Benefits in the left-hand menu, and then click Benefit Enrollments.
The left-hand menu will display the employee's personalized benefit offerings. The employees can click the menu to expand the offer and review more details.
Adding Dependents
Before enrolling in any benefits, the employee must add their dependents to ensure that their costs are accurately updated based on their selection.
Note: If the employee does not have dependents, they can ignore this step.
✅ Step 1 - Open the Dependents page
From the Welcome tab, select Next or click the Dependents tab in the left-hand menu.
✅ Step 2- Click Add Dependent
✅ Step 3 - Add details
Fill in all the required fields, which are marked by a red asterisk.
We recommend filling in as much information as possible - not just the required fields - as some of these details may impact the overall cost.
✅ Step 4- Click Next
Once all dependents are added the employee can start enrolling in their offered benefits plans.
Editing the Benefits Dependents
The employee can make edits to their dependent's information at any time; they can remove dependents as long as the enrollment window is still open.
Select the Dependents tab on the Benefits dashboard platform, click on the name of the dependent to make changes to follow the pop-up prompts.
Choosing the benefits plans
✅ Step 1 - Navigate to the benefit offering
If the employee has just added Dependents, simply click Next on the Dependents page to land on the first plan offering page.
Alternatively, the employee can select the benefit from the left-hand menu.
✅ Step 2 - Review the offered plans
Each benefit page will list the enrollees and display all of the available options.
Click on the yellow SBC button to see more information about an individual plan's offerings and what is covered.
✅ Step 3 - Compare plans
Click the Compare button on up to 3 plans, then click the blue Compare button underneath the plan tiles.
Employees can review a side-by-side comparison of the primary costs related to the benefits.
✅ Step 4 - Select the desired benefit plan
The employee's selection will be highlighted in green with a check mark, and the total cost per period in the right corner will be updated to reflect this cost.
✅ Step 5 - Review another benefit plan offering
Click Next to see the next benefit that is offered. Repeat the process to make selections for all offered benefits.
Reviewing and submitting benefits
Employee will be taken to a benefits summary page once they have made their final benefit selection.
They can also navigate to this page by clicking the Benefits Summary tab in the left-hand menu.
The Benefits Summary page will show the employee all of the plans they have enrolled in, the effective date and the total cost. From this page, the employees can see if they need to make any final changes or selections before submitting.
Once they have completed all selections and have reviewed the summary page, click Submit.
We recommend the employee save a copy of the confirmation page for their records.
If the employee has missed a section of the benefit elections, they will see a red notification saying ‘No benefits elections made’ and will not be able to click the Submit button.
Employees must go back to the incomplete sections and complete their election decisions. They can click the pencil edit button next to the name of the benefit section.
The confirmation page may say 15/16 pages are complete if the enrollment period is still open, allowing employees to return to the page and make changes until the enrollment closes.
Insurance activation date
Insurance benefits will become active on a date pre-determined by the company.
Employees will not be able to select an activation date.
Employers may select a back-dated activation date, immediate activation, activation after 30 calendar days, or another date.
Employees should reach out to their employer to learn when their benefits plan will become active. For more information, they can refer to the FAQs.
Declining Coverage
Employees can decline coverage if they wish. Benefits are optional and are not mandatory for PEO employees.
The default of the enrollment is a decline in coverage.
If the employee does not go through the benefits selection process at all, Deel will mark it as employee declined coverage. However, we recommend that you you through the process and explicitly decline coverage.
To do this, simply go through the process as outlined in this article and select ‘No coverage’ for each plan offered.
Frequently Asked Questions
[ACCORDION] How to see the enrollment deadline?
We will email you reminders about your benefits enrollment deadline, and you will also receive notifications on your Deel account about an upcoming deadline date.
You can also reach out to your onboarding manager at your company for additional details about the enrollment deadline.
Benefits open enrollment is done every month and is performed roughly 2 weeks before the start date of the employee. The start date for a new client offering benefits is always on the first of the month.
There are set deadlines each month for benefits open enrollment.
The deadlines for each period can be found in the PEO Launch Calendar.
[ACCORDION] Why does my confirmation page only say 15/16 pages complete?
When you see your confirmation screen, you can rest assured that your benefits elections have been submitted.
Yet you may see a message that only ‘15/16 pages have been completed’ - do not worry, you have completed all the steps and no further action is required.
It shows as 15/16 pages completed because the confirmation page stays open until the last day of enrollment, so you can go back to that page until the last day of enrollment.
[ACCORDION] Can I change my benefits plan?
Yes, you can change your benefits plan or contribution amounts as long as the enrollment deadline has not yet passed.
To do so, click on Benefits Enrollment again.
After the enrollment deadline has passed, you can change benefits only if one of the following events has occured:
- You have had a Qualifying Life Event (QLE)
- Your employer changes its benefits offering
- It is an open enrollment period, as determined by your employer (typically in the next calendar year)
[ACCORDION] Can I make changes to my plan if I have had a qualifying life event?
Qualifying Life Events (QLE) are major changes that make you eligible to add or remove dependents from your benefits plan, or to make new plan selections outside of the regular Open Enrollment period.
If there is a Qualifying Life Event - like having a baby or getting married - contact us as soon as possible and our team will reopen enrollment for your benefits.
[ACCORDION] Is health insurance and other benefits taxable in the US?
Yes, you may have to pay taxes on your benefits in addition to your monthly contributions. The deductions are taxable.
Taxation regarding healthcare plans is regulated specifically by section 125(c) of the Internal Revenue Code; other benefit types are covered by different parts of the US tax code.
Any policies opened are agreements between the insurance broker and your employer, without Deel’s involvement.
[ACCORDION] When can I start using my insurance?
Your insurance benefits will become active on a date that is pre-determined by your company.
You will not be able to select an activation date.
Your employer may have selected a back-dated activation date, immediate activation, activation after 30 calendar days, or something else.
New Clients
When we onboard new clients, employees of that cohort can only start on the first of the month.
If the employee is eligible for benefits and they enroll into benefits, their healthcare benefits will be effective on the first of the month when they start with Deel PEO. The start date and date of effectivity is the same.
Existing Clients, New Hires
When we onboard a new hire of an existing client, there are four possible paths to the effective date of healthcare benefits. The option is determined by the client:
- 1st of the month + 60 days
- 1st of the month + 30 days
- 1st of the month of the date of hire
- Date of hire
[ACCORDION] Will I be automatically added to my employer’s benefits plan?
New Clients
The new client selects which plans will be available to the employees.
The employees have a chance to enroll during benefits open enrollment. If they do not enroll, they will be automatically opted out of coverage.
Existing Clients, New Hires
Clients select what plans are available to the employees.
The employees have a chance to enroll during benefits new hire enrollment. If they do not enroll, they will be automatically opted out of coverage.
[ACCORDION] What is the difference between an FSA and HSA?
HSA and FSA are both types of tax-advantaged savings accounts that are used to help individuals and families cover eligible medical expenses in the United States.
A Health Savings Accounts (HSA) is a savings account that allows individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans to set aside pre-tax money to pay for qualified medical expenses.
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored benefit that allows employees to set aside pre-tax money from their paycheck to pay for qualified medical expenses.
While the purpose of these accounts are similar, there are significant differences between HSA and FSA when it comes to eligibility requirements, contributions, withdrawals, and rollovers of unused funds.
Therefore, it is not possible to enroll in both at the same time.
[ACCORDION] How do I know if I have successfully enrolled?
Once you have reviewed of your benefit elections and clicked Submit, you will be directed to a confirmation page. We recommend you save a copy of the confirmation page for your records.