Frequently Asked Questions – BENEFITS
Note: Unless stated, all updates are still done via paper forms. The Benefits Technician will
update your records in Workday for you. We will begin the transition later in 2017 to move
away from paper enrollment and start turning on employee self-service for benefits. A
communication for training will accompany these future changes.
Benefits Department Contact:
Jenny Aquino, Interim Benefits Technician
[email protected]
619-644-7643
Medical, Dental and Vision Plans
1. I am reviewing my benefits in Workday and they are wrong. I need to change/update
my benefits.
a) Did you have a qualifying event such as marriage, divorce or a newborn? If so, you
must contact the Benefits Department within 30 days of the qualifying event date to update
your benefits. If it is beyond 30 days, you must wait until the next open enrollment period to
make your changes.
b) Do you need to take an ineligible dependent off your plan and it is beyond the 30 days
of the qualifying event? Please contact the Benefits Department immediately.
c) Do you need to add an eligible dependent to your plan? Eligible dependents may only be
added during open enrollment each year or within 30 days of a qualifying event.
2. I am in the wrong medical and/or dental plan.
a) Did you complete paperwork this past open enrollment for an effective date of
January 1, 2017? Contact the Benefits Department so that we can make this correction for
you.
b) I am in the wrong plans and I did not make any changes at open enrollment. This
could be a data load issue and we will need to research and correct for you. Contact the
Benefits Department.
c) I want to switch my medical and/or dental plan. Changes to your medical or dental plans
are only made once a year at open enrollment.
3. I do not want to be enrolled in medical, dental or vision.
Per the labor agreements, employees cannot opt out of benefit coverage for medical, dental and
vision.
Enrollment is a bundled package. Employees and their enrolled dependents must be enrolled in all
three plan types (medical, dental and vision).
4. I see a cost for coverage on my benefits screen.
Please note that these costs are listed under the “Employer Contribution (Monthly)” column. This
is the cost that GCCCD pays for that plan each month. Medical, dental and vision enrollment is
100% paid for by GCCCD.
Flexible Savings Accounts
For 2017, all FSA deductions are calculated to be deducted 12 times a year. Your annual election was
divided by 12 to calculate the expected monthly deduction. If you are paid less than 12 times a year, the
Workday system will automatically create an arrears bucket and will capture missed deductions in the next
paycheck.
1. I did not re-enroll for 2017. Can I still do so?
Open enrollment has ended and the window to enroll for 2017 is closed.
2. I enrolled and I want to update the amount that I elected for 2017.
Open enrollment has ended and the window to make changes to your 2017 election has closed.
The only time you are allowed to make changes to your FSA election in 2017 is within 30 days of a
qualifying event, provided that the specific event will allow for changes.
Ex. Newborn. You are allowed to elect into the Health Care or Dependent Care FSA or change your
current Health Care or Dependent Care election. You must do so within 30 days of the newborn’s
date of birth.
Life and AD&D Insurance Plans
1. Basic Life, Basic A&D and Long Term Disability – The Hartford.


Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in these plans.
These plans are 100% paid for by GCCCD.
a) Why do I not see any beneficiaries attached to my plans? Currently, we will continue to
maintain beneficiary information via paper. At open enrollment later this year, we will begin to
have employees update the beneficiaries to their plans in Workday.
b) I want to update my beneficiary now. Contact the Benefits Department to complete a
paper form.
c) Why is the “coverage” amount and “calculated coverage” amount different? All life
insurance plans have a provision to reduce the coverage level when an employee has reached a
certain age. Please contact the Benefits Department to find out more information.
c) Workday is allowing me to enter a beneficiary. While you are allowed to enter beneficiary
information in Workday, that beneficiary is not attached to a plan and is not your true
beneficiary for that plan at this time. You must update beneficiaries via paper form at this
time. You can leave the beneficiary that you entered in Workday as you will eventually use this
at open enrollment later this year.
2. Voluntary Life Insurance, Voluntary AD&D Insurance – The Hartford.


These plans are voluntary and 100% paid for by the employee.
For 2017, all deductions are calculated to be deducted 12 times a year. If you are paid less
than 12 times a year, the Workday system will automatically create an arrears bucket and
will capture missed deductions in the next paycheck.
a) I do not want to be enrolled in these plans. As these are voluntary post-tax deduction
plans, you are allowed to drop at any time. Contact the Benefits Department to initiate this
change. Please note that if you wish to re-enroll in the plans in the future, you will be subject
to completing an evidence of insurability health form and must have Hartford approve the
enrollment.
b) Why is my plan labeled “grandfathered”? Employees who were enrolled in the voluntary
life or voluntary AD&D insurance with Mutual of Omaha were grandfathered into their coverage
when we moved away from Mutual of Omaha to The Hartford insurance carrier in January 2015.
The grandfathered plans have lower rates in some of the age band levels.
Grandfathered status is lost once an employee makes any type of change to their coverage for
voluntary life insurance or voluntary AD&D insurance.
Employees who elected for the first time in October 2015 and after OR who made changes to
their plans at open enrollment are enrolled in the non-grandfathered voluntary life or voluntary
AD&D insurance plans. The plan names do not include the word “grandfathered” in the naming
convention.
d) Why did my monthly rate change? Each January 1, your age is re-calculated. You are
charged rates based on the age you are on January 1. If your rate has changed, that means
you have moved onto the next 5-year rate band based on your age on January 1.


Employee and spouse ages are only calculated once a year on January 1.
A spouse is charged a rate based on their own date of birth and not the employee date of
birth. A spouse is moved to a new rate band independent of how old the employee is.
e) Why is the “coverage” amount and “calculated coverage” amount different? All life
insurance plans have a provision to reduce the coverage level when an employee has reached a
certain age. Please contact the Benefits Department to find out more information.
f)
Why do I not see any beneficiaries attached to my plans? Currently, we will continue to
maintain beneficiary information via paper. At open enrollment later this year, we will begin to
have employees update the beneficiaries to their plans in Workday.
g) I want to update my beneficiary now. Contact the Benefits Department to complete a
paper form.
h) Workday is allowing me to enter a beneficiary. While you are allowed to enter beneficiary
information in Workday, that beneficiary is not attached to a plan and is not your true
beneficiary for that plan at this time. You must update beneficiaries via paper form at this
time. You can leave the beneficiary that you entered in Workday as you will eventually use this
at open enrollment later this year.
Income Protection Plans (Colonial)
Long Term Care Plan (UNUM)
Pre-paid Legal Plan (Hyatt)
For 2017, all deductions are calculated to be deducted 12 times a year. If you are paid less than 12 times
a year, the Workday system will automatically create an arrears bucket and will capture missed
deductions in the next paycheck.
1. I do not want to be enrolled the Colonial or UNUM plans. As these are voluntary plans, you
are allowed to drop at any time. Contact the Benefits Department to initiate this change.
2. Why is the plan labeled “pre-tax” in the name? These plans are determined by Colonial to be
pre-tax plans. Your deduction is deducted from your gross pay before taxes are applied. Plans not
labeled “pre-tax” are all post-tax deductions.
3. I do not want to be enrolled in the Hyatt Legal Plan. When you enroll, you must remain on
the plan for 12 consecutive months. Afterwards, you can drop the plan at any time.
4. I want to add the Hyatt Legal Plan. You must wait for open enrollment to elect into the plan.
Pension and Alternate Benefit Plan
All eligible employees are automatically enrolled in one of these plans:





Pension - CalSTRS Classic
Pension - CalSTRS Pepra
Pension - CalPERS Classic
Pension - CalPERS Pepra
Alternate Benefit – SDCOE 3121
Contributions to these plans are mandatory for both the employee and the employer. You cannot waive
this plan.
Beneficiary information for STRS or PERS will continue to be maintained with that agency. Please contact
that agency to update your beneficiary.
Retirement Savings Plans
For 2017, all contributions to a 403(b), 403(b) Roth or 457(b) plan will be for any paycheck that you have
issued to you.
Example: If you are paid 12 times a year, a contribution will come out each check.
In the near future, we will roll-out the opportunity for all current participants to update their election. You
now have these following choices:



Elect a percent amount instead of a flat dollar amount
Age 50 or older: elect a separate catch-up contribution (percent or flat dollar)
Make changes to your election amount at any time
o Drop to 0% or $0
o Change dollar amounts from pay period to pay period
 Ex. $500 current, change to $100 in the next month
Beneficiary information for your retirement savings plans will continue to be maintained with that vendor
(e.g. Empower Retirement, Fidelity Investments, Oppenheimer, etc.) Please contact that vendor to
update your beneficiary.
Until we turn on self-service for the Retirement Savings Plans, you can continue to make salary reduction
agreement changes via paper form. These forms are found at http://fbcretire.com/. Please submit these
changes to the Benefits Technician to update Workday for you.