December 2022: What to Communicate

This post is part of our Benefit Bites Newsletter, where we provide monthly ideas & content you can use to create engaging benefit communications.

Vlad here, Airbo's co-founder and CEO. With the holidays around the corner, no one wants to be on Santa's naughty list, but one sure way to land there is to miss a benefits deadline. We consulted AI to render what a disappointed HR Santa Clause would look like (see above). To us, it sure looks like Santa may have missed some important communications for his elves. Read on to learn what we recommend covering with employees this month.

Topics At-a-Glance

There are seven topics we recommend communicating about in December:

1. Holiday Wellness
2. Deadline: Wellness Program Incentive
3. Deadline: FSA
4. Deadline: Claim Submission
5. Update Contact Information
6. 2022 HSA Limits
7. 401k Contribution Limits

Here's detail about each topic with sample content from our library.👇

1. Holiday Wellness

The holiday season can be hectic. It's challenging to keep spending in check and stay on track with healthy habits. Offer employees tips for managing their gift budget, tricks to avoid over-indulging, and ideas for incorporating fitness into their holiday plans. Sample content:

Manage Holiday Stress

Here are 4 tips from Mayo Clinic to help keep the holidays stress-free:

• Make a budget. Decide how much money you can spend. Then stick to that budget when shopping.
  
  
• Say no. People will understand if you can't participate. If it's impossible to say no, remove something else from your list.
  
  
• Keep up healthy habits. Holidays should not be a free-for-all. Keep stress and guilt at bay by not over-indulging
  
  
• Make time for yourself. Spend 15 minutes alone, without distractions, to reset.

2. Wellness Program Incentive Deadlines

This is a good time to promote any incentives that your company offers. To get their new year off to a good start, remind employees to schedule their free annual physical and get their biometric screening. Sample content:

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New Year incentives update!

Here are a few things to look into (and get scheduled if you can!):‍

• Annual Physical: You'll earn $___ towards your annual incentives if you get your physical.
  
  
• Health Risk Assessment: Take the 15-minute assessment online and you'll earn $___ towards your annual incentives.
  
  
• Biometrics: You'll earn $___ towards your annual incentives if you complete and submit your biometrics (usually done with your physical).

3. FSA Deadlines

Tell your employees to check their balance to see exactly how much money remains so they can make a plan for spending on FSA-eligible products before the year-end. Sample content:
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Reminder: FSA deadline is December 31, 2022!

You have until the end of the year (December 31, 2022) to incur qualified expenses to be paid from your Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).

The accounts are use-it-or-lose-it, so any funds not used before the end of the year will be lost.

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‍4. Claim Submission Deadlines

Make sure your employees are aware of any claim submission deadlines. Let your employees know the more frequently they submit FSA claims, the easier it is to stay on top of their reimbursements throughout the plan year. Sample content:

Submit your claims for your FSA

You have until January 31, 2023, to submit claims for your Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Submitted services must have been incurred by January 15, 2023.

Click here [Insert link to vendor] to check the balance of your FSA and the status of any claims you have submitted.

5. Update Contact Information

The start of a new year is a good time to remind employees to update their contact information so that you can notify them about things like unplanned office closures, emergencies, and more. Sample content:

Update your contact information

The new year is a great time to update your contact information. We will use this to notify you about things like unplanned office closures, emergencies, and more.

Please take a couple of minutes and verify or update your contact information on [insert HRIS] today.

If there are any concerns, please note that only HR will have this contact information.

6. 2022 401(k) Contributions Limits

As we near the end of the year, it's a good time for your employees to check their 401(k) and confirm they are not exceeding the annual limits. They can also contribute more if they haven't reached their limit yet! Sample content:

Reminder: Review year-to-date 401(k) contributions!

There are two parts to check:

• What you elect to defer from your salary: The 2022 limit for this is $20,500.
  
• Total annual contributions to all of your accounts by your employer (and any related employer). This cannot exceed the lesser of:
• 100% of your compensation, or
• $61,000

Age 50 and older? You can contribute an additional $6,500 as a catch-up contribution

Visit the IRS 401(k) page to learn more.

7. 2022 HSA Contributions Limits

Have employees check their 401(k) to confirm they're not exceeding the annual limits, and encourage more contributions. Sample content:

Reminder: Review year-to-date Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions!

The 2022 limits are as follows:

Single: $3,650
Family: $7,300

Age 55 and older? You can contribute an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution

Link your vendor when communicating this deadline.
Example: You can review your current contributions at [insert HSA vendor].

That's all for this time! Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. We'll be back with recommendations for January in a few weeks.

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