The state benefits enrollment window for eligible new hires and newly eligible employees is 30 calendar days.

If the enrollment deadline is missed, the employee will default into the Quality Care health and dental plans and their dependents will not be covered.

The critical steps below outline the events of the 30 day hiring timeline to ensure employees receive their benefits. Each step indicates who is responsible to complete that step.

1. Unit Begins HRFE

Start the HRFE transaction as soon as possible, preferably before the benefit eligibility date. Make sure you have finalized the hire date, salary, FTE, and accreditation documents before you begin.

Starting early allows more time for the employee to select their state benefits plans. A personal email address for the employee can be used if a university email address is not yet available. The 30-day countdown begins from the date of benefit eligibility, which is the “Current Hire Date” in PEAEMPL for new hires, the start date of the new job for the newly benefit-eligible employees or after a foreign national employee passes the substantial presence test.

See Critical Notes for HRFE: Processing CMS Benefit-Eligible New Hires and State Benefits Enrollment.

2. Unit Creates New Hire Login

New Hires:

The unit creates the UI New Hire Logon for the new hire within HRFE.

Newly Benefits Eligible:

UPB creates the UI New Hire Logon for the newly benefit-eligible employee (due to employee group changes).

3. Employee Receives Login ID

UI New Hire Logon ID is sent to the email address entered in the HRFE transaction.

4. Employee Logs In To UI New Hire

New hires and newly benefit-eligible employees log in to UI New Hire to complete and submit confirmation of bio/demo data, register for a Benefits Orientation session, and submit any voluntary university plan selections (e.g., 403(b), Long Term Disability). Making benefits selections in New Hire Step 6 is optional. If the employee does not wish to enroll in optional benefits at this time, they can disregard the error message and close the browser window.

Important! Both new hires and newly benefit-eligible employees should complete this step as soon as possible to help avoid delays in the benefits enrollment process. Employees who miss the 30 calendar day deadline will be defaulted to Quality Care health and dental plans and their dependents will not be covered.

5. Banner and CMS Updated

Banner is updated with the employee's biographical and demographics information. This data is sent to Central Management Services (CMS).

6. MyBenefits updated

CMS sends employee data to MyBenefits, the portal for State of Illinois employees to choose and manage benefits.

7. Employee Registers at MyBenefits

New hires and newly benefit-eligible employees should go to the MyBenefits website (https://mybenefits.illinois.gov) three business days after completing Step 4 to self-authenticate and register as a MyBenefits portal user.

Important! The employee should not wait for a communication from MyBenefits with login information which can take up to 10 days. Instead, they should go to the MyBenefits website three business days after completing Step 4 to self-authenticate and register as a MyBenefits portal user.

8. Employee Submits Selections

New hires and newly benefit-eligible employees review the choices made in MyBenefits and submit state benefits plan selections (e.g., health insurance).

Important! Employees must be confident in their state benefits plan selections before submitting them. The submit action is permitted only once, after which additional selections or changes are prohibited.

Additional Resources

• For a graphical representation of this material, see Critical Benefits Deadlines (Infographic for Units).
• Please provide your new hire or newly benefits eligible employee this information: State Benefits Enrollment for Eligible New Hires and Newly Benefits Eligible Employees.