Overview of what is changing for Benefits

What is changing for Benefits?

Starting July 2025, employees will use My Insurance Benefits and Workday for their benefits enrollment and review.

My Insurance Benefits - Employees will use this system to make changes to benefits upon hire, qualifying life event, and Annual Benefits Enrollment. They will view their WRS Statement of Benefits in this system. They can also enter spouse and dependent information for benefits purposes.
Workday - Employees will use Workday to review, elect, and change UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP) and additional Wisconsin Retirement System contributions.

Click the plus buttons (+) to learn more about the new systems, what is changing, and what you can do to prepare.

Overview of Benefits in My Insurance Benefits

My Insurance Benefits Key Terms

My Insurance Benefits (MIBs): Employee Trust Funds (ETF) name for the new system that state and local employees will use to securely enroll in, change, or review their insurance benefits.
My Benefits: The portal through which members and employers will access ETF applications and systems, including My Insurance Benefits.

The My Insurance Benefits system will include ETF-administered health, dental, vision, accident benefits, as well as life (Securian), Income Continuation Insurance (ICI), and Individual & Family Group Life insurance. This will allow an employee to log in, review, edit, enroll in, and change benefits. OHR Benefits Services will have the ability to process applications as applicable, prompt Qualifying Life Events (QLE), and review and approve the employee's benefit changes or documentation, as applicable.

Below are previews of the employee's welcome screen to My Insurance Benefits.

Overview of Benefits in Workday

Workday Key Terms

Benefits Elections and Costs: The display name in Workday for the Summary of Benefits and Deductions
Supplemental Retirement: The display name in Workday for the UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP), formerly the UW Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA) 403(b) Program
Benefits Analyst UW Security Role: This is a view-only Benefits Role, and it does not give person-view access to worker data.
- HR Professionals are encouraged to talk with their managers and HR Leads if they have additional questions about specific security roles.

Workday will include a Pay and Benefits Hub which will provide a summary of benefits elections and costs, the ability to elect or change supplemental retirement, and a link to log into My Insurance Benefits to change benefits.

Below is a preview of the Pay and Benefits Hub in Workday from an employee's view.

Below is a preview of the Pay and Benefits Hub in Workday from a Benefits Analyst UW view.

System Access for Employees and Benefits Analyst UW

The table below displays what an employee can see and the actions they can take in relation to benefits in My Insurance Benefits and Workday.

Employee's View in My Insurance Benefits and Workday
My Insurance Benefits (MIBs)	Workday
Replaces current Employee Self Service (ESS) in HRS	Replaces HRS
View benefits elections	View benefits elections
View benefits costs	View benefits costs
Review, elect, or make changes ETF-administered benefits (i.e., Health, Dental, Vision, etc.)	Review, elect or makes changes to 403(b) Supplemental Retirement and Additional WRS contributions
Enter spouse or dependent information	Link to My Insurance Benefits (MIBs)
View WRS Statement of Benefits

The table below displays what a Benefits Analyst UW can see and the actions they can take in relation to benefits in My Insurance Benefits and Workday.

Benefits Analyst UW View in My Insurance Benefits and Workday
My Insurance Benefits (MIBs)	Workday
Replaces current Employee Self Service (ESS) in HRS	Replaces HRS
No access to view employee elections	View employee benefits elections
Personal use only	View employee benefits deductions

What is Changing, What Stays the Same, and What is Still Being Defined

Review the table below that identifies benefits-related processes. You will see what the process is for the current state, and what is changing in future state.

What is Changing
Process	Current State	Future State
Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Accident, and ICI Election or Change See Enrollment Window and Cycle Overview below	Entered through Employee Self Service (HRS) May enroll up to 7 days prior to event day	Entered through My Insurance Benefits May enroll the day of the Qualifying Life Event New Hires may enroll the day following the Date of Hire, or the day following the Job Data entry in Workday, whichever is later
Demographic Information Employee	Entered through HRS	Entered through Workday
Demographic Information Spouse and Dependent	Entered through Employee Self Service (HRS)	Entered through My Insurance Benefits
Supporting Documentation Spouse and Dependent	Employees must submit proof of relationship documentation (i.e., Birth or Marriage Certificate for each spouse/dependent Submit documentation to OHR Benefits Services	No change Submit documentation through My Insurance Benefits
Continuity Codes	Used to determine Benefits Eligibility	No longer used. Instead, Contract Type and Length will determine eligibility. This is based off: 9-Month; 135 days or more 12-Month; 181 days of more
Visiting Code	Entered and monitored through HRS	Entered as a Custom Object in Workday Continues to drive Benefits Eligibility; no change.
Officer Code	Entered and monitored through HRS	Entered as a Custom Object in Workday Continues to drive Benefits Eligibility for VA employees (only)
Unpaid Leave of Absence (LOA)	Entered and monitored through HRS	Entered and monitored through Workday
LOA Intention Form	Online form	Entered through Workday Online form will be removed on June 14, 2025
Benefits Billing	Entered and monitored through HRS	Entered and monitored through Workday
Short Work Break	Setup and monitored through HRS Deducted over the months of March, April, and May to distribute over June, July, and August (Manual Process)	Setup through Workday based on contract Deducted from each (18) academic paycheck (Automatic Process)
Wisconsin Deferred Compensation Election/Changes	Direct enrollment with WDC	No change
Additional WRS Contributions Election or Changes	Entered and monitored through HRS	Entered and monitored through Workday
Continuation / Conversion (Life Insurances)	Managed and delivered by UW-Shared Services	Managed by UW-Shared Services and delivered by Workday
COBRA (Health, Dental, and Vision)	Managed and delivered by UW-Shared Services	Changes pending
MyUW Benefits Tile	Employee access to Benefit platform: Human Resources System (HRS)	MyUW Benefits tile will link to My Insurance Benefits A new Workday tile will be added to MyUW
Paper Applications	Accessible for all events (i.e., New Hire, Employment Change, or Qualifying Life Events)	Employees should submit request via My Insurance Benefits
OHR Benefits Services benefits@ohr.wisc.edu	Ivanti (ticket system) Inquiries to OHR Benefits Services may receive a response from benefits@ohr.wisc.edu, servicedesk@support.wisconsin.edu, or servicerequest@support.wisconsin.edu	Ivanti (ticket system)

Review the table below that highlights the benefits enrollment window and cycle for the current state and the future state using MIBs and Workday.

Enrollment Window and Cycle
Current State	Future State
Employees may enroll through Employee Self Service the day after Job Data is entered in HRS; up to 7 days prior to Hire Date	Employees may enroll through My Insurance Benefits (MIBs) the day after their Date of Hire, or the day after Job Data is entered in Workday, whichever is later. Early enrollment is no longer accessible.
Example Date of Hire: May 15, 2025 Entered in HRS: May 1, 2025 Self Service access: May 9, 2025	Example 1: Job Data entered early Date of Hire: July 15, 2025 Entered in Workday: July 8, 2025 MIBs access: July 16, 2025 Example 2: Job Data entered retroactively Date of Hire: July 15, 2025 Entered in Workday: July 20, 2025 MIBs access: July 21, 2025

Review the table below that provides the steps of the benefits enrollment cycle, along with an example highlighting a new hire's enrollment.

Enrollment Cycle Overview and New Hire Example
Enrollment Cycle	New Hire Example
1. Job and Demographic Information entered in Workday	July 8, 2025 Job and Demographic Information entered in Workday
2. Job and Demographic Information transmits to My Insurance Benefits	August 23, 2025 Job and Demographic Information transmit to MIBs based on the Date of Hire
3. Employee elects or changes benefits in My Insurance Benefits	August 25, 2025 Employee elects Health and Life insurance in MIBs
4. Employee submits supporting documentation (if applicable)	August 25, 2025 Employee submits supporting documentation (if applicable)
5. OHR Benefits Services reviews supporting documentation (if applicable)	August 26, 2025 OHR Benefits Services reviews and approves documentation
6. Elections/changes transmit to Workday and Vendor(s)	August 26, 2025 Elections transmit to Vendor(s)
7. Employee will receive their card or policy information directly from vendor	5-6 Business Days Employee will receive their card or policy information directly from vendor
8. Employee may view elections and deductions in Workday per the effective date and payroll schedule (combined)	August 27, 2025 Health election (effective September 1) transmits to Workday September 24, 2025 Life election (effective October 1) transmits to Workday

What Stays the Same

Effective Date Rules
Eligibility Deadlines
Employment Changes and Qualifying Life Events
Benefit Plans and Policies
Documentation Guidelines

What is Still Being Defined

Dependent Verification
Leave of Absence Intention Process
COBRA Vendor
Benefits Eligibility Table

How to prepare

HR professionals are encouraged to review the following tasks to prepare for My Insurance Benefits and Workday go-live.

Ensure Summer and Fall appointments are entered correctly

In cases where an employee has less than a 30-day break between jobs, use the following information to help determine the entry platform and benefits eligibility.

Entry platform and benefits eligibility (if less than a 30-day break between jobs)
Summer Job Effective Date	Entry Platform	Benefits Eligibility
May 19 - June 28	Hire Summer position in HRS Hire Fall position in HRS	Summer and Fall effective (start) dates must be the same for benefits purposes Contact UW Shared Services if you need start dates adjusted
June 29 - August 17	Hire Summer position in Workday Hire Fall position in Workday	Notify OHR Benefits Services to review if jobs are not entered with the same effective (start) date

In cases where an employee has more than a 30-day break between jobs, use the following information to help determine the entry platform and benefits eligibility.

Entry platform and benefits eligibility (if more than a 30-day break between jobs)
Classification	Job Effective Dates May 19-June 28	Job Effective Dates June 29-July 17	Benefits Eligibility
Graduate Benefits Program	Hire Summer position in HRS	Hire Summer position in Workday Hire Fall position in Workday	Summer position does not qualify employee for benefits Jobs are reviewed independently; Fall appointments may qualify for benefits
FAASLI*	Hire Summer position in HRS Hire Fall position in HRS	Hire Summer position in Workday Hire Fall position in Workday	Summer and Fall effective (start) dates must be the same for benefits purposes Contact UW Shared Services if you need start dates adjusted

*See the prepay policy for additional clarification on WRS Benefits impacts.

Review the Pay and Benefits Hub walk through video

Pay and Benefits Hub Walk Through Video (15 minutes)

Key Takeaways

Employees will be able to see all their payroll and compensation information in one place
UW employees will have a range of self-service options such as viewing benefits and retirement savings elections in Workday
In Workday, employees can start, stop, and change supplemental retirement contributions without the assistance of a Benefits Partner

Review resources to prepare to assist employees

1. Review the Get Started with My Benefits Video (7 minutes)

This video will show you how to access the portal for the first time, create a MyWisconsin ID, and verify your identity with ETF. It will also demonstrate how to sign in for future visits, and find help accessing the portal

Note: ETF recommends using a desktop computer when accessing My Benefits for the best experience.

2. Login to My Benefits for the first time

Review your personal My Benefits account to better understand employee questions. Use the Job Aid: Set up account in My Benefits to assist you with setting up your account in ETF's My Benefits with a MyWisconsin ID. My Benefits uses MyWisconsin ID, which allows employees to create a single account linked to their personal email address for access to participating Wisconsin government websites.

Keep the following in mind as you set up your account:

Create a MyWisconsin ID using a personal email address - Do not use a work or any .gov as the account will follow you through any state employment and into retirement
Choose a Multi Factor Authentication option. (Recommended: Phone option)

3. Review the My Benefits: Member Experience Video (30 minutes)

The purpose of this video is to guide employees through the member experience in My Insurance Benefits.

The video will show you an overview of basic navigation, New Hire enrollment, dependent verification, and enrolling during a Qualifying Life Event.

Additional Resources

Questions?

Contact benefits@ohr.wisc.edu.

Updated: May 15, 2025Source URL: https://hr.wisc.edu/hr-guides/for-hr-professionals/overview-of-what-is-changing-for-benefits/