Recent Topics
Gender Premiums for Health Age Banded Multiperson Rates
It would be nice if the health age banded multiperson rate tier supported different gender premiums. We currently have to create two benefit subgroups (for males and females) and two plans when entering age banded multiperson rates that differ based on
Populated Mass Update Template/Report
For many of our clients I've found it beneficial to populate the mass update template with some detail from the all data report for them to review/update prior to open enrollment. In this way they catch any new hires/terminations/status changes they
Prompt for name/address changes with the qualifying event
We've run into situations where the employee did not update their name or address in their account before electing their benefits during a qualifying event... which populated incorrect information on the change forms in Bernie. Could it be possible to
Page Numbers at Top of Employee Names, Not Bottom
It would be very helpful if the page numbers (see below) on the Employee page were at the top vs. the bottom. With the the page numbers at the bottom we constantly have to toggle down to move the page (I know you can display more than 20, but that involves
Hours Worked on Election Sheets and Enrollment Forms
BerniePortal asks how many hours per week an employee works when adding a new hire. It would be nice to have the hours also show on employee election sheets and have the option to map on enrollment forms (without needing to create a custom text field
Create Automatic Income Imputation Amount for Group Life Benefit Over $ 50,000
It would be beneficial if BerniePortal would automatically provide employees with the amount of income to be imputed in their W-2 for the value of their employer-paid group life policy over $ 50,000. Using the employees date of birth, date of hire and
Chat - We're Online
The chat feature is nice, however the not We're Online or We're Offline often gets in the way of viewing what is being worked on. It would be nice if the system would hold the preference of clicking on the X to remove this from the page so that we do
CC on Onboarding Email reminders
I would like the option to be cc'd on emails going out to remind employees to enroll. We've had instances of employees claiming they never got notification. Having copies of the reminders for onboarding would be valuable for documentation and risk
Change default order of the plan list
The plans in Bernie are listed with the newest plans at the bottom by default. It would be helpful if this were reversed, with the most recent plans at the top, saves time/clicks to find what you're looking for.
Time & Attendance and PTO
I think it would be a wonderful idea if approved PTO requests could be reflected on time sheets. For example: I was apporved for unpaid PTO on 8/30 On my time sheet, it appears that I just never clocked in. I think it would be awesome if my time sheet
Lock Out Employees From Making Elections After They Have Missed Eligibility Date
When employees are in "Onboarding" or "Awaiting Elections," there is nothing that prevents them for making their elections after they have missed their eligibility window. We have many employees that elect coverage months after they were eligible and
Allow Users to Type in the Date
Some modules of BerniePortal require users to click through a calendar to enter a date. For example: Hire Date when onboarding an employee If the date needed to be entered is far away, like if you need to enter a hire date for 03/01/1995, it is more efficient
Dependents Aging Off Plan
BerniePortal currently does not have a design that automatically removes dependents from a plan after the dependent turns age 26. It is considered that there are exceptions to this, as some dependents are permitted to remain on their parent's health plan
Applicant Tracking decline reason for candidates
The Applicant Tracking feature doesn't ask for the reason a candidate was declined. This would be nice to look back on after a candidate has been declined. Maybe add a way to enter a reason when declining someone that would also be stored in their application
Email reminders for approvers
We need a way for time and pto approvers to get email reminders. They often forget to approve outstanding requests for their reports.
Auto Decline Candidates
We need the ability to allow employers to auto-decline candidates based on gate-keeper questions for the Applicant Tracking feature. For example, if they are located in the area, or if they are willing to travel.
Allow Employees to Upload PDFs to Notices
We need the ability to let employees upload documents onto notices from the Compliance feature. For example, a certification.
View Employers in Open Enrollment on Broker Dashboard
I'd love if I could see how many employers, and even better which employers, are in open enrollment at any given time I log in. That would be much more useful than the STATS available.
Add Tier to Most Recent Elections Report
There can be confusion when an employee doesn't select the same tier across all plans, it would be useful to have the coverage tier listed on this report to avoid errors.
Ability to attach docs to job post in ATS
We have a few employers who have expressed that they would like to be able to attach documents to a job posting in our ATS feature. Some employer have waivers that they'd like for applicants to view or general information docs. Maybe even just add the
Suggested Reports - Awaiting Elections & Outstanding Compliance
This week I’ve encountered a need the following two reports within our groups: Awaiting Elections - I’ve created a custom report but it still requires filtering out those that have completed their elections (sorting the medical election to blank cells).
EOI amounts listed on Reports
Currently, EOI amounts are not listed on reports. If an employee is subject to EOI, then the reports show "0" as the amount they elected. You have to look at each employee's sheet to understand that they elected, and are pending of an additional amount.
New BernieU Course: Payroll Basics for Brokers
Our brand new BernieU course, Payroll Basics for Brokers, is now live! Brokers provide a valuable service to their clients, and their clients trust their advice on everything that touches benefits. More and more, that includes payroll, a crucial administrative
Recap: BerniePortal's July New Release Webinar
In case you missed the webinar, here are some resources from the BerniePortal July 2022 New Releases presentation: View the webinar recording View the new release notes
Recap: BerniePortal's June New Release Webinar
In case you missed the exciting announcement during our June New Release Webinar.. BerniePortal has a new Payroll Feature! Here are some resources from the BerniePortal June 2022 New Releases presentation and additional information on Payroll: View
Recap: BerniePortal's May New Release Webinar
In case you missed the webinar, here are some resources from the BerniePortal May 2022 New Releases presentation: View the webinar recording View the new release notes
Recap: BerniePortal's March New Release Webinar
In case you missed the webinar, here are some resources from the BerniePortal March 2022 New Releases presentation: View the webinar recording View the new release notes Read more on the BerniePortal March New Releases
September New Release Webinar
Here at BerniePortal, we have an ongoing initiative to communicate product updates. We would like to invite you to join us for a webinar on Tuesday, September 27th to get a view of the new BerniePortal features. Register today! Are you a broker? Register
August New Release Webinar
Here at BerniePortal, we have an ongoing initiative to communicate product updates. We would like to invite you to join us for a webinar on Tuesday, August 30th to get a view of the new BerniePortal features. Register today! Are you a broker? Register
HSA Beneficiary Option
We have a TPA that is now requiring beneficiaries for HSA's. It would be great to have a beneficiary option for the HSA benefit type.
Mass Update to include Phone Numbers and Employee ID numbers
I would love to be able to include the phone number and employee ID number on the initial upload. Many times this information is provided on a census but still has to be manually keyed in
Approving/Declining EOI Email Notifications
When approving or declining EOI the employee receives an Email notification and I believe receives a new generated election sheet. We would love for the "Interested parties" listed in the email notifications to also receive an email notification along
Employee scheduling feature
Steve from Paw and Order suggested the following: Develop a feature so that a manager can create a schedule for the employees. This is a critical component needed for companies who have employees who work various shifts. We currently use "When I Work"
Mass Update - Emails
Sometimes a group will give all of their employees new email addresses. Example: test@googlemail.com will change to test@gmail.com. Currently in BerniePortal there is not a way to update more than one email at a time. I can see how this would be helpful
Minimum Amount for Critical Illness Plans
Currently, an employee can elect $0 as there is no "Minimum" setting on critical illness plans, only maximums. An employee can technically elect $0 as a coverage amount. This creates confusion when enrolling the employee and causes discrepancies on EDI
Employee Gender in BerniePortal
Currently, there are only male/female options for gender. Add more inclusive options for employees who don't subscribe to male/female.
Make it available to masquerade before an employee activates their account
Currently, when an employee is onboarded to BerniePortal with an email address, the system requires the new employee to activate their account with a link that is emailed to them. Until the account is activated, Admins are not permitted to masquerade
Defined Contribution - Upcoming Offer
There should be a way to put in upcoming defined contribution so you know what the previous offer amount was when an employee has to make their prior offer election before their current election. Currently, if you change the Defined Contribution amount in
Benefit Reductions applied on the birthday
For benefit reductions, it's my understanding that as soon as someone has a birthday and ages up into an age bracket that is eligible for a benefit reduction, BerniePortal does NOT charge the premium for the next bracket up but does apply the benefit
Add Benefit Volume Amounts to Reports
It would be beneficial to see the calculated benefit amounts for Life, STD, and LTD. Not just the employee/employer pay period deductions. This may also help tie into the requested volume vs. the approved volume for pending EOIs.