In May, we released a long-awaited feature, the Benefit Plan Designer! Whether you’re new to the UKG Ready® solution or a seasoned pro, we consistently heard how overwhelming the benefit plan creation process was. A screen with hundreds of checkboxes and configuration settings with little to no explanation on what turning settings on/off impacts downstream. The Benefit Plan Designer provides a simplified plan creation experience that is easily digestible and guides your HR team through the process.
The Basics
When it comes to the Benefit Plan Designer and the plan creation process, it’s important to understand that the functionality itself is not changing. We have some exciting new enhancements but overall, it’s the same functionality — just with a cleaner look and a simpler feel. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with the Benefit Plan Designer! You can find this feature by navigating to Menu > Settings > Profiles/Policies > Benefits > Benefit Plan Designer.
To ensure a smooth transition, we’ve built in backward compatibility. Any changes or new plans created in either the classic configuration screen or the Benefit Plan Designer will automatically sync across both views. Plus, all your existing plans are already available in the new Designer!
Like all our updated reports, the first screen in the Benefit Plan Designer has rounded buttons and banded rows for improved display and an easily digestible view. Once you dive into the Add New or Edit Plan page, you’ll find it broken down into six sections:
- Plan Information
- Eligibility and Waiting Period
- Earning/Deduction
- Coverage Levels
- Pricing
- Employee View
The classic plan configuration screen will not retire this year. Both the classic plan configuration screen and the Benefit Plan Designer will be available for you to use throughout 2025.
The Latest Enhancements
How many times have you started to create a new plan within your solution and you’ve either incorrectly checked a box that caused issues later or had no idea what selecting a configuration option meant? The Benefit Plan Designer is equipped with new features to help eliminate that uncertainty and stop those issues when they happen, as opposed to needing support to fix them down the line.
Some of the newest enhancements include:
- Info Icons – Get quick explanations for configuration options.
- Warning Messages – Receive alerts before making potentially problematic changes.
- Conditional Checkboxes – Only see relevant options based on your selections.
- Copy From Another Plan – Save time by duplicating Eligibility, ACA eligibility, Waiting Period rules, and coverage levels from existing plans.
Where To Learn More
The Virtual Huddle is June 25 and is quickly approaching. Register now (if you haven’t already!) and attend our UKG Ready: Craft A Seamless Benefit Enrollment Experience session to learn all about the Benefit Plan Designer and the end-to-end enrollment experience.
We also have a couple of different resources you can currently take advantage of to help you get started now:
- Benefit Plan Designer Guide
- Product Spotlight Video
- UKG Ready Release Notes (My Info > Help > Online Documentation)
- UKG Ready HR User Guides (My Info > Help > Online Documentation)
