Open enrollment season: the yearly juggling act of compliance, employee questions, and endless paperwork. If you’re still managing benefits with spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected systems, it’s time for a serious upgrade. At Simco, we’ve seen firsthand how automating open enrollment through a unified Human Capital Management (HCM) platform makes life easier for HR teams and employees alike. Here are five reasons why your business should make the switch, and why your workforce will thank you. 1. Slash Errors and Save Time with Automation Manual benefits administration? It’s a recipe for costly mistakes and wasted hours. A unified HCM platform syncs data instantly across HR, payroll, and insurance, cutting out double entries and compliance slip-ups. That means fewer headaches for your HR team and more accurate payroll deductions for you. What you get: Real-time updates when employees change status or eligibility Automatic compliance checks Less time answering repetitive benefits questions 2. Give Employees a Smooth, Self-Service Experience Your employees live on their phones (whether it’s banking, booking appointments, or shopping). Benefits enrollment should be just as easy. With a single login, employees can compare plans, enroll, and update info anytime, anywhere. Bonus: AI-powered decision tools make choosing the right coverage simpler than ever. Why it matters: Boosts employee confidence, satisfaction, and engagement Fits their busy schedules, not yours Simplifies benefits communication and reduces HR support requests 3. Stay Compliant Without the Last-Minute Scramble Open enrollment comes with a complex web of federal, state, and local regulations that must be followed precisely. From tracking Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirements to managing COBRA eligibility and distributing mandatory notices, the compliance checklist can quickly become overwhelming, especially when benefits data is scattered across spreadsheets, emails, and disconnected systems. Without a centralized platform, HR teams often find themselves scrambling at the last minute to gather accurate information, complete audits, and submit reports, putting the organization at risk for costly penalties and damaging employee trust. A comprehensive HCM system builds compliance into the process from the ground up. Eligibility rules, coverage limits, and regulatory requirements are automatically enforced and updated, minimizing human error and ensuring you stay ahead of deadlines and regulatory changes, reducing stress and protecting your business. 4. Stand Out in a Competitive Talent Market Benefits remain one of the most powerful ways to demonstrate to your employees that they are valued. However, a confusing or frustrating enrollment process can quickly undo that goodwill, leading to disengagement and even turnover. In today’s competitive job market, providing a seamless benefits experience is no longer optional, it’s essential. According to our HCM technology partner isolved’s 2025 Workforce Report: 50% of employees say they would seriously consider looking for a new job following a poor open enrollment experience. 90% of job seekers actively compare benefits packages before accepting a job offer, often prioritizing ease of access and clarity. This means that a complicated or outdated enrollment process isn’t just an inconvenience, it’s a real risk to your ability to attract and retain top talent. Investing in a user-friendly, automated benefits platform helps position your company as a modern employer of choice, showing that you care about your employees’ experience every step of the way. 5. Free Up Valuable Time for Your HR Team Open enrollment season often means an overwhelming amount of compliance tasks, employee questions, and administrative work, all on a tight deadline. When benefits management is manual or spread across multiple disconnected systems, it drains your HR team’s time and energy. Automating open enrollment with a unified platform reduces the need for repetitive data entry and minimizes errors, which means fewer fire drills and less time spent fixing problems. This allows your HR professionals to shift their focus from paperwork to higher-value activities like employee engagement, strategic planning, and talent development. In other words, the right technology doesn’t just streamline processes, it gives your HR team the bandwidth to do what really matters: support your people and help your organization thrive. Ready to leave enrollment headaches behind? Get in touch with us today to see how a unified HCM platform can transform your benefits process, making it easier, smarter, and more employee-friendly.
When school lets out, many working parents face a new set of challenges: piecing together childcare, coordinating summer camps, adjusting work schedules, and simply trying to maintain a sense of balance. For employers, this season presents a valuable opportunity to demonstrate empathy and build stronger connections with your workforce—especially your working parents. By offering the right policies, benefits, and workplace flexibility, your company can help parents manage the summer shuffle—while keeping productivity and morale strong. Here are a few impactful ways to make that happen. 1. Offer Flexible Scheduling Options Summer schedules are rarely predictable, especially for parents with younger children or teens involved in day camps, sports, or part-time jobs. Allowing employees to shift their working hours or compress their workweeks can be a game-changer. Early start and end times, four-day workweeks, or staggered hours give parents the flexibility to handle family logistics without sacrificing their jobs. What you can do: Encourage managers to have open conversations with team members about their summer availability. Promote cross-training so employees can support each other during flexible hours or time off. Formalize a “Summer Flex Hours” program to show company-wide support. This kind of trust-driven flexibility not only improves work-life balance but also boosts engagement and retention. 2. Revisit Your Remote or Hybrid Work Policy For companies that support remote work, summer is an ideal time to offer extra flexibility. Parents may need to be closer to home for child supervision or to avoid time-consuming commutes during camp drop-offs and pickups. Even one or two remote days per week can ease the mental load on parents—helping them stay focused and productive during working hours. And it signals a deeper commitment to employee wellbeing. Ways to implement: Offer a seasonal “summer remote work option” if your company is traditionally office-based. Empower department heads to tailor remote work flexibility to their team’s needs. Reinforce accountability and results-based performance to support this model. Tip: Simco is happy to help you review your remote work policy for both compliance and employee satisfaction! 3. Promote and Educate on Dependent Care Benefits Many organizations offer dependent care support, but employees often forget—or aren’t aware—of what’s available. Summer is a perfect time to highlight programs like: Dependent Care FSAs (tax-free childcare reimbursements) Childcare subsidies or stipends Backup care assistance Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) with parenting or caregiver resources Tip: Create a simple “Summer Benefits Guide” or a quick email campaign highlighting available benefits. If your team uses a digital portal or app, make sure this information is easily accessible and up to date. 4. Plan Ahead for PTO and Team Coverage Summer means vacations—and for working parents, this might be the only chance they get to spend extended time with their families. That’s why it’s crucial to encourage early vacation planning and transparent communication among teams. Strategies to support summer PTO: Ask employees to submit summer PTO requests as early as possible. Use shared calendars and collaborative tools to coordinate team coverage. Train back-up team members ahead of time to avoid last-minute stress. Consider adding a floating summer holiday or mental health day to give employees a breather. When employees feel supported in taking time off, they’re more likely to return refreshed and ready to re-engage. 5. Build a Family-Friendly Workplace Culture Supporting working parents isn’t just about policies—it’s about creating a culture of empathy and understanding. That starts with leadership modeling flexibility, and continues with teams who respect boundaries and accommodate personal obligations. Ideas to build culture: Create a parent resource group or Slack channel to exchange ideas and support. Share local summer camp or childcare resources in your company newsletter. Avoid scheduling late afternoon meetings that may interfere with family commitments. Celebrate family milestones or kid-friendly moments in a light-hearted way. These small cultural cues can go a long way in helping working parents feel seen, supported, and valued—especially during a season that’s often more stressful than relaxing. Final Thoughts Supporting working parents through summer break isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s a smart business strategy. Offering flexibility, benefits education, and an understanding culture helps companies retain top talent, foster loyalty, and create a healthier workplace for all. Need Guidance? At Simco, we specialize in helping businesses implement people-first policies and scalable benefit solutions. If you’re looking to enhance your workplace support for parents (or all employees), our specialists are here to guide you! Let’s talk about how we can help your workforce thrive—this summer and beyond.
The IRS has released the 2025 Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) fee , which will increase to $3.47 per covered life —a $0.25 increase from 2024. This fee applies to plan years ending on or after October 1, 2024 , and before October 1, 2025 . What is the PCORI Fee? The PCORI fee was introduced as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to help fund the research conducted by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). This research focuses on improving healthcare outcomes by comparing different medical treatments. The fee is levied on insurers, as well as self-insured and level-funded health plans. The fee is calculated based on the average number of covered lives under a plan and is due once a year, with the filing occurring during the second quarter on Form 720 , the Quarterly Federal Excise Tax Return . The payment is due by July 31 each year. Key Details for Employers and Plan Sponsors Who is Affected? : The fee applies to health insurers, self-insured health plans, and level-funded health plans. When is it Due? : The fee must be reported on Form 720 and paid by July 31 each year. How is it Calculated? : The fee is based on the average number of covered lives during the plan year. The updated $3.47 per covered life fee will be in effect for health plans with policy years ending between October 1, 2024, and October 1, 2025. Employers should be prepared to account for this increase when filing for 2025. For more information on the PCORI fee and its reporting requirements, consult the IRS Bulletin 2024-49 , published on December 2, 2024, or visit the IRS PCORI Fee page .
