Workday open enrollment (OE) is a critical time for your organisation, and missteps can lead to headaches. Many organisations stumble through this critical period, but understanding common pitfalls can help you stay ahead. Here’s a straightforward guide to avoid the traps that can derail your OE process and keep everything running smoothly.
Starting too late with Workday open enrollment
- Pitfall: Waiting until the last minute to prepare for OE.
- Avoidance Tip: Kick off discussions about potential changes as soon as possible. Early conversations help identify changes that might affect integrations, Payroll, and employee training/communications. Getting these conversations going early can make the entire process smoother.
Ignoring integration needs
- Pitfall: Not involving integration resources in early planning discussions.
- Avoidance Tip: Even if there are no new plans or vendors, coordinate with the Integrations team early on. Low-change OE still impacts integrations, so include that team to plan for the timing of OE files, necessary updates, and ongoing integration handling through year-end.
Inadequate testing
- Pitfall: Only focusing on testing the OE event itself.
- Avoidance Tip: Recognise that OE affects more than just the enrollment process. Create a robust end-to-end test plan. Coordinate closely with HR, Payroll, and Integrations to ensure exhaustive testing. The plan needs to include validating deductions, data on vendor integration files, and scenarios both during and after the OE window.
Overlooking Workday release updates
- Pitfall: Not accounting for Workday R2 updates that impact OE.
- Avoidance Tip: Workday R2 frequently coincides with OE for numerous organisations. Examining release notes and preparing for mandatory items that impact benefits functionality is vital.
Failing to leverage Workday open enrollment checklist
- Pitfall: Relying on documentation from prior OE periods for current preparations.
- Avoidance Tip: Workday offers a checklist that they tailor for each OE season. Download this resource and adapt it to your specific requirements to ensure a comprehensive plan for OE.
Don’t let Open Enrollment (OE) catch you off guard; knowing what to avoid can save you time and stress. By steering clear of these common pitfalls, you can simplify your Workday Open Enrollment process and set your organisation up for success.
