Last-Minute Benefit Decisions Can Backfire Hard #HRPlanning #SmallBusiness

4 Aug 2025 · 1 min

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A short conversational transcript in which Chrissy Myers and another speaker warn that small business owners often make benefit-plan decisions at the last minute (e.g., Dec 31 for Jan 1 effective dates). They discuss concrete employee harms that follow—missing ID cards, not found in the system, needing to pay out-of-pocket or wait for reimbursement—using anecdotes like a January 3rd doctor appointment and prescription need.

The other struggle that I see is that small business owners make the decision the day before. We think, well, January 1st means I can make my decision December 31st.
Right.
Which is fine.
Right.
If you're just one person, what does that impact? You mentioned it before, but I'd like to reiterate what that impact is to the employees themselves. When you make a plan change, what does that look like for them when they don't know what's going on?
And it never fails. Something happened. It's Murphy's law, you know.
Oops.
I have a doctor's appointment on January 3rd. Where's my ID card? Oh, they can't find me in the system or. Oh, I have a sinus infection. I've got a prescription to fill.
Yeah, so.
And then the employees are disgruntled because they've either had to pay out of pocket.
Wait for reimbursement.
Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Which is never quit.