A new benefit plan will become eligible for enrollment for employees on July 1, in the middle of the current plan year. What steps do you take to ensure the plan is implemented and eligibility is controlled correctly?

The correct procedure is to create the new benefit plan with a future effective date of July 1. Then, the administrator must edit the existing plan year definition to include this newly created plan. The plan's effective date ensures it is only available for enrollment starting July 1, while adding it to the current plan year definition makes it part of the active benefits offering. This allows for a mid-year rollout without disrupting the existing structure.

A. This delays the plan's availability until the next year, which contradicts the requirement to make it available for enrollment in the current year.
B. Creating a new, partial plan year definition is incorrect and would complicate administration. Plans are added to the existing, relevant plan year definition.
D. Eligibility is never automatic. The plan's effective date is a key control, but specific eligibility rules are still required to govern who can enroll.

1. Workday Benefits Administrator Guide, "Managing Benefit Plans and Programs," Section 5.2: "Effective Dating." This section explains the critical role of effective dates in controlling when configuration changes, such as a new plan, become active in the system.

2. Workday Benefits Administrator Guide, "Plan Year Definitions," Section 6.5: "Editing an Active Plan Year Definition." This part of the guide outlines the process for adding or removing benefit plans from a plan year definition that is already in progress.