Enrollment Window automatically closes an employee's enrollment a set number of days after their hire date, or after they're unlocked for a Qualifying Event or Correct Mistake, if they haven't submitted elections by then.
To Set the Enrollment Window
Employers (users with the Employer role) set the Enrollment Window from Benefits Settings. Global Admins can reach it by masquerading into the employer's account.
- From the top navigation, select Benefits, then select the Settings tab.
- In the settings sidebar, select General.
- Under "Auto-close enrollment if the employee does not elect benefits within a given window (within ___ days of a new employee's hire date or an existing employee being "unlocked" for a qualifying event or correct mistake)," select a window from the dropdown: No Window, 10 Days, 30 Days, 45 Days, 90 Days, or 120 Days.
Your selection saves as soon as you choose it — there's no separate Save button. Select No Window to turn off auto-close. If you haven't set this, BerniePortal uses a 30-day window by default.
What Happens When the Window Closes
For a new hire or rehire, the window runs from their hire date. If their account isn't activated by the day the window ends, BerniePortal skips the auto-close for that employee — the check runs once, on that exact day, and won't run again afterward. If the account is active before the window closes, BerniePortal elects their benefits when the window ends: it selects an employer-paid plan where one is offered, and waives the remaining benefit types.
For an employee unlocked for a Qualifying Event or Correct Mistake, the window runs from the date they were unlocked rather than their hire date. If they haven't submitted new elections by the time the window ends, BerniePortal restores the elections they had before the unlock, for the benefit types that were unlocked.
Reminders Before the Window Closes
BerniePortal emails the employer and the employee twice before the window closes: five days before, and again one day before.
Enrollment Window and Open Enrollment
Enrollment Window only runs for employers without an open renewal group — while Open Enrollment is open, BerniePortal pauses this auto-close until Open Enrollment closes. Closing Open Enrollment itself is a separate, manual step. See How to Open and Close Enrollment. Related Articles
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