Best Practices and Implementation Recommendations
The Benefits Plan Comparison feature within PeopleSoft allows employees to view and compare their plan choices for which they are eligible. These comparisons may be made during New Hire, Life Events, Open Enrollment, and in circumstances where benefits eligibility allows for a plan change. Here, we’ll explore tips and best practices for using the benefit plan comparison feature, as well as implementation recommendations.
Benefit Plan Comparison Set Up
First introduced in Image 43, the PeopleSoft Benefits Plan Comparison feature has added some improvements to its usability. From a UI standpoint, the Benefits Plan Comparison offers a side-by-side comparison of employee benefits offered by their employer. The Plan Comparison tool is a useful method of communicating and educating employees about their benefits and the variations in their plan choices.
The setup is straightforward, as PeopleSoft admins can make a template of the sections and attributes in the comparison, fill in the data of each plan, and add footnotes if needed. Much of the benefit information available is provided in PDFs, printed material, or links to an outside source. Importing the benefits material for comparison into PeopleSoft will require the creation and setup of these templates.
(Comparison Footnote Table screenshot)
The Comparison Template can be used to add a new template, update an existing template, clone a new template, or delete a template. When creating a plan comparison template, admins can add and create user instructions to advise and instruct employees with the Header and Footer Step with additional information. Once a comparison template has been created, it must be attached to the Benefit Program. By tying the template to the Benefit Program and Plan Type, the template sections and attributes are then populated in the Compare Data
PeopleSoft Benefits Comparison Best Practices
For users and admins alike, it is recommended to use no more than three Benefit Plans to compare due to horizontal scrolling, especially on mobile devices. Introducing the Benefit Comparison to your employees prior to Open Enrollment is encouraged so that employees can gather the necessary information to make educated and informed decisions about their benefits.
Consider using the Benefit Comparison tool on any benefit plan type available (not just healthcare) so that employees can see the highlights of different offerings for every benefit. Cloning and using a prior benefit guide can help with faster setup as well.
Implementation Recommendations
Being organized is key to successfully implementing Benefits Plan Comparison. Know what plans you want to compare; know what values you want to use for your templates, and have all of the information regarding the benefits your organization is offering together prior to getting started.
For simplicity, use the Benefits WorkCenter where all your Benefit Comparison Plan configuration can be done. The Rich Text Editor is your friend and should be used to make a statement. Another key recommendation is to use the newest features in the Benefit Comparison Plan setup to:
- Add the Plan Image for each Benefit Plan
- Gain multiple alignment options for the Pay Period Cost and Coverage Level Cost sections
- Select Footnotes column
By taking these, the other implementation recommendations, and best practice recommendations into account, your organization is primed to be able to take full advantage of the Benefits Comparison feature. To learn more about PeopleSoft Benefits plan comparison and how your organization can begin leveraging this feature, reach out to [email protected] to connect with our team. In the meantime, subscribe to our monthly PeopleSoft Newsletter and stay up-to-date on all the latest PeopleSoft news, PUM releases, and events.
