Health Insurance?

[Tyler Harris]

Hello. I was just hired for a seasonal position with Target. I am interested in staying past the holidays and becoming a permanent team member.

When does Target offer health insurance to its employees? Is there a minimum for length of employment or a minimum for number of hours worked to be eligible?

What does it cost for health insurance? Is there many options for plans? Is the cost based on income?

 

[HRZone]

As a team member it's 1 year of service and 1200 hours worked to get benefits. You also need to average 29.5 hours per week to qualify for health insurance.

Cost options and plans depend on where you live. I would ask your store HR about that

 

[SFSFun]

Open enrollment is in February each year and coverage starts in April. So you wouldn't have actual coverage until April 2019, assuming you qualify.

 

[CTLGR8]

As a team member it's 1 year of service and 1200 hours worked to get benefits. You also need to average 29.5 hours per week to qualify for health insurance.

Cost options and plans depend on where you live. I would ask your store HR about that

Is it 1 year and 1200 hrs, or one or the other?

 

[SFSFun]

@HRZone Where does the 1200 hours figure come from? You'd have to work at least 1534 hours in order to average 29.5 over a year.

 

[HRZone]

@HRZone Where does the 1200 hours figure come from? You'd have to work at least 1534 hours in order to average 29.5 over a year.

You have to work 1200 hours before you are eligible. That way if you get hired in January and average 35 hours a week you aren't eligible for benefits in February due to the 1200 rule.

Open enrollment is only a hard date for existing team members. If you hit a year and 1200 hours in March they don't make you wait 11 months for open enrollment you are eligible then. I know because I got my benefits starting in June even though I technically missed open enrollment.

 

[HRZone]

Is it 1 year and 1200 hrs, or one or the other?

Both.

 

[SFSFun]

You have to work 1200 hours before you are eligible. That way if you get hired in January and average 35 hours a week you aren't eligible for benefits in February due to the 1200 rule.

Open enrollment is only a hard date for existing team members. If you hit a year and 1200 hours in March they don't make you wait 11 months for open enrollment you are eligible then. I know because I got my benefits starting in June even though I technically missed open enrollment.

I thought the average hours are calculated as an average over a year?

Interesting about being able to sign up at any time once eligible. I couldn't figure out how to do it when I was eligible and needed to switch in the middle of the year. There didn't appear to be any way to sign up or even view plans online, and the email support wasn't very helpful. I ended up going with an ACA plan that year.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Welcome! as a seasonal Tm, you might be let go before 90 days are up.

 

[HRZone]

I thought the average hours are calculated as an average over a year?

That's exactly right hence having to wait exactly one year for coverage. I think the 1200 hour rule prevents people from having a high average, going on LOA for 8 months
and still getting coverage. According to my math I did 1200 hours divided by 56 weeks in a year and it's about 22 hours a week to hit 1200.

Interesting about being able to sign up at any time once eligible. I couldn't figure out how to do it when I was eligible and needed to switch in the middle of the year. There didn't appear to be any way to sign up or even view plans online, and the email support wasn't very helpful. I ended up going with an ACA plan that year.

Interesting, I got a packet from Hewitt saying I was now eligible after one year.

 

[SFSFun]

That's exactly right hence having to wait exactly one year for coverage. I think the 1200 hour rule prevents people from having a high average, going on LOA for 8 months
and still getting coverage. According to my math I did 1200 hours divided by 56 weeks in a year and it's about 22 hours a week to hit 1200.

I almost want to keep going back and forth over why that doesn't make sense...but as HR you would know more about it than me. There's only 52 weeks in a year though.

Interesting, I got a packet from Hewitt saying I was now eligible after one year.

They sent me nothing That was well over a year ago and I'm covered now though, so it's all good.

 

[HRZone]

I almost want to keep going back and forth over why that doesn't make sense

I do want to clarify since it comes up in the store a lot. Once you have been with the company for a year and have worked at least 1200 hours with a 29.5 average for that year they give you health insurance.

If you haven't been with the company a year or haven't worked 1200 hours no matter what your average hours are you don't get to open enroll in February.

 

[Tyler Harris]

I do want to clarify since it comes up in the store a lot. Once you have been with the company for a year and have worked at least 1200 hours with a 29.5 average for that year they give you health insurance.

If you haven't been with the company a year or haven't worked 1200 hours no matter what your average hours are you don't get to open enroll in February.

Couple questions based on what you wrote.

1200 hours divided by 52 weeks is 23.08 hours per week. Where does the 29.5 average come in?

Does the 1200 hours have to be worked during the previous year or during the lifetime as a Target employee?

If an employee reaches 1 year and 1200 hours worked, do they become eligible to purchase benefits?

If that employee reaches 1 year, 1200 hours worked, and is averaging over 29.5 hours per week, does Target pay for the health insurance?

As a new seasonal employee, if I am let go and then rehired later in 2018, does my time and hours as a seasonal employee count toward the 1 year or 1200 hours worked?

 

[SFSFun]

I do want to clarify since it comes up in the store a lot. Once you have been with the company for a year and have worked at least 1200 hours with a 29.5 average for that year they give you health insurance.

If you haven't been with the company a year or haven't worked 1200 hours no matter what your average hours are you don't get to open enroll in February.

You can't get 29.5 average hours without working 1534 hours. The 1200 hour mark is completely meaningless if it's impossible to have 29.5 average hours by that point.

 

[HRZone]

You can't get 29.5 average hours without working 1534 hours. The 1200 hour mark is completely meaningless if it's impossible to have 29.5 average hours by that point.

29.5 is for medical, with a 20 hour average you get dental.

Does the 1200 hours have to be worked during the previous year or during the lifetime as a Target employee?

From date of hire so if you are terminated and return later your clock starts all over again.

If that employee reaches 1 year, 1200 hours worked, and is averaging over 29.5 hours per week, does Target pay for the health insurance?

It's subsidized by Target but you still pay for it. How much you pay depends on which plan you choose, if you're a smoker etc.

As a new seasonal employee, if I am let go and then rehired later in 2018, does my time and hours as a seasonal employee count toward the 1 year or 1200 hours worked?

No, however if you are retained your benefit date is effective from when you start as seasonal not when you become permanent

 

[SFSFun]

29.5 is for medical, with a 20 hour average you get dental.

That makes sense... lol it's like I said:

but as HR you would know more about it than me.

 

[WestLoggy]

Semi-related question: am I correct in understanding the average hours worked is updated monthly? So at or after the first of each month your average will be updated based on hours for the past year divided by 52 -or- is it hours worked per week averaged for the past 52 weeks (updated monthly). Makes a bit of a difference. I've slowly been updated to 29.3 hours avg but have been working between 30-40'ish for the past 9 months. If my hours continue in this manner I expect to be able to meet the threshold by the end of the year. I've received multiple answers from my HR some saying 33 hours for medical (beyond dental which I currently have) with others saying 35 and 28.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Yes.

 

[SFSFun]

@WestLoggy it's a rolling 52 week average that updates monthly. On your paychecks it will say the last time it updated.

I'm pretty sure 30 hours for medical insurance is a federal law and Target goes with 29.5 just to be safe.

As long as you are working more hours over the next few months compared to that time last year, your average should go up.

 

[WestLoggy]

@WestLoggy it's a rolling 52 week average that updates monthly. On your paychecks it will say the last time it updated.

I'm pretty sure 30 hours for medical insurance is a federal law and Target goes with 29.5 just to be safe.

As long as you are working more hours over the next few months compared to that time last year, your average should go up.

Thanks SFSFun for the confirmation. Also, just a "btw", there is no USA Fed law requiring insurance or definition of overtime. ACA provides for tax penalties for those with more than 50 employees who do not offer health benefits (and many take the penalty over the offer of insurance). *sigh* Also, "full time" - under Federal law - is dependant upon how an employer wishes to define it. They've got no dogs in the race, per se. However, certain states /counties / cities have chosen to define it *whew*. So yeah ... I'm sure Spot chose 29.5 to ensure they slide in under the laws.

Meanwhile, based on my mathing prowess ... I should be seeing a substantial increase in my average hours within the next month or so. Fingers crossed I'll make it by the end of the year. If not, then we'll know their calculations are different than thought or simply incorrect.

 

[RealFuckingName]

Open enrollment is in February each year and coverage starts in April. So you wouldn't have actual coverage until April 2019, assuming you qualify.

Wow! That explains why our store started hiring in May!! So employees go as long as possible before being eligible.

 

[RealFuckingName]

Oh, and they use the excuse that you're "seasonal."

 

[Yetive]

If you are hired seasonal, the clock doesn't start on your benefits until you are converted.

 

[RealFuckingName]

If you are hired seasonal, the clock doesn't start on your benefits until you are converted.

It was never mentioned that I was hired as seasonal. 🤔

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

It was never mentioned that I was hired as seasonal. 🤔

As a team member it's 1 year of service and 1200 hours worked to get benefits. You also need to average 29.5 hours per week to qualify for health insurance.