Note: This guide is for administrators who manage their company's benefits plan in Rise. It covers your responsibilities — not step-by-step product instructions.

As a benefits administrator, you're responsible for classifying employees correctly, enrolling them on time, and making sure the right people are on the plan.

Classify employees correctly

Every employee needs to be classified as either eligible or ineligible for benefits when they're added to Rise.

Eligible employees meet your plan's requirements. For example, a minimum of 20 work hours per week. Ineligible employees don't meet these criteria, such as part-time staff below the hour threshold, employees in a non-eligible class, or contractors who aren't offered coverage.

Get this right during employee onboarding. If someone is marked ineligible when they shouldn't be, they miss their enrolment window — and fixing it later means dealing with late applicant rules (see below).

See also: Manage ineligible employees and Enrol a formerly ineligible employee.

Enrol employees before their eligibility date

Don't wait until an employee's eligibility date to start the enrolment process. Send the enrolment invitation ahead of time so the employee has time to complete it. Employees won't get access to or be charged for benefits until their waiting period ends (e.g. they pass probation).

See also: Invite employees to self-enrol in group benefits or Enrol an employee using a form.

Tip: If your plan has a waiting period (e.g., 3 or 6 months), start the enrolment process when you set up payroll for the new hire.

Watch enrolment deadlines

Employees have up to 30 days after their eligibility date to complete enrolment. After that, they're considered late applicants.

Here's what that means in practice:

• The insurer may require evidence of insurability (a health questionnaire).
• Coverage can be declined or restricted at the insurer's discretion.
• If the insurer does accept a late applicant, coverage is applied retroactively to the original eligibility date. Both the employee and employer are backcharged for the retroactive period.

Follow up with employees who haven't completed enrolment and send reminders before the 30-day window closes.

Know your billing cutoff dates

The billing cutoff for new enrollees is the 20th of the month.

• Employees enrolled before the 20th appear on the next month's bill.
• Employees enrolled after the 20th won't appear until the following month's bill — and that bill will include charges for both months at once.

That double charge can confuse employees who see a higher-than-expected deduction. Whenever possible, aim to have employees enrol before the 20th to avoid this confusion. To review charges, see how you can view and download bills.

Changes in family status

If an employee's coverage level changes (e.g., from Single to Family), the change cannot be backdated more than 30 days. If the change is processed after the 20th billing cutoff, the employee may see a one-month back-premium charge on their next bill.

See also: Add, remove, or update an employee's dependent.

Benefits are mandatory

Participation in the benefits plan is mandatory for all eligible employees in Canada. Employer-sponsored benefits are a condition of employment, not voluntary.

Employees can only waive health and dental coverage, and only if they have comparable coverage through another plan (e.g., a spouse's plan). To waive, they need to provide:

• The name of the insurance carrier
• The policy number

Alert: Employees covered under a spouse's plan still need to enrol in Rise. They can then opt out of coverage by sharing their spouse's carrier details. This protects them — if their spouse loses coverage in the future, they can re-enrol without providing medical evidence.

What happens when someone waives incorrectly

If an employee waives coverage without providing proof of alternate coverage, they may be permanently ineligible to join the plan later.

This is a big deal. Make sure every waiver is properly recorded and that the employee has provided valid alternate coverage details before you process it.

Warning: Improperly handled waivers can create legal risk, including claims of discrimination or unequal treatment. If you're unsure whether to allow a waiver, get legal advice first. It's also good practice to have the employee sign a written waiver acknowledging they're forfeiting coverage.

Quick checklist

• Classify every employee as eligible or ineligible at onboarding
• Send enrolment invitations before the eligibility date
• Follow up with employees who haven't enrolled — don't let them miss the 30-day window
• Process waivers only with proof of alternate coverage
• Aim to add new enrollees before the 20th to avoid double-bill confusion

The insurer — not Rise — makes all final decisions on coverage. Rise provides the platform; your company manages employee enrolments and participation.

Note: Rise is not liable for delays, errors, or omissions made by the client. As the administrator, your company is responsible for ensuring employees are enrolled correctly and on time.

Related articles

• Frequently Asked Questions: Rise Benefits Admin