It is no secret that the entire world was changed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and thereafter. Consequently, a new wave of modern work from home arrangements was born. Companies launched creative “backup plans” for continuing business during shut-downs and Stay-At-Home Orders. The world of employee benefits was no exception, as benefits professionals could no longer count on face-to-face interactions allowing the “in-person” benefits enrollment approach. Enter “self-service enrollment”. In this article, we will cover why self-service enrollment, for employee insurance plans, has become a staple in the present employee benefits sector, and why it’s here to stay in the future of the ever-changing employee benefits landscape.

Many employers are aware of their obligations to provide new employees with certain notices, but often times even the seemingly straight-forward HR tasks become convoluted or overlooked. When it comes to COBRA compliance, the General Notice, which is also commonly referred to as the Initial Rights Notice, plays an important role in protecting both employers, and employees rights to continuation. 

​However, this simple yet informational notice is often mishandled, or completely forgotten which can lead to costly lawsuits, hefty fines, and overall stress for an HR team. In this article we look at a few simple ways CobraHelp can ensure that an adequate Initial Rights Notice is provided to employees and common pitfalls to avoid.