Benefits
How to set up, manage, and assign employee benefit programs such as health insurance, dental plans, and wellness programs.
The Benefits page allows HR administrators to define and manage the benefit programs offered to employees. Benefits are non-salary compensation elements -- typically insurance programs, wellness memberships, or other employer-provided perks -- that form part of your total compensation package.
Navigation: HR > Benefits & Allowance > Benefits
Viewing Benefits
The Benefits page displays a table of all configured benefit programs:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Benefit Name | The name of the benefit program |
| Category | The benefit category (e.g., Insurance, Wellness, Education) |
| Provider | The external provider or vendor (e.g., insurance company name) |
| Employer Contribution | The amount or percentage the employer pays |
| Employee Contribution | The amount or percentage the employee pays (if co-paid) |
| Enrolled Employees | Number of employees currently enrolled in this benefit |
| Status | Active or Inactive |
Filtering
- Search -- Find benefits by name or provider
- Category -- Filter by benefit category
- Status -- Show only active or inactive benefits
Common Benefit Types
| Category | Examples | Typical Structure |
|---|---|---|
| Health Insurance | Medical, dental, vision coverage | Employer covers a percentage of premium; employee covers the rest |
| Life Insurance | Term life, accidental death | Employer-funded; coverage amount based on salary |
| Wellness | Gym membership, mental health support | Employer-funded or subsidized |
| Education | Tuition reimbursement, certification funding | Employer reimburses up to a specified annual amount |
| Retirement | Pension contributions, savings plans | Employer matches a percentage of employee contributions |
| Transportation | Parking passes, metro cards | Employer-funded; assigned based on role |
Creating a Benefit Program
To add a new benefit:
- Click Add Benefit at the top-right of the page.
- Fill in the configuration fields:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Display name of the benefit (e.g., "Group Health Insurance - Gold Plan") |
| Category | Yes | Select or create a category (Insurance, Wellness, Education, etc.) |
| Description | No | Details about what the benefit covers and any terms |
| Provider | No | The name of the external vendor or insurance company |
| Policy Number | No | The policy or contract number with the provider |
| Contribution Type | Yes | How the benefit is funded: Employer Only, Employee Only, or Co-Paid |
| Employer Contribution | Conditional | The employer's share -- enter as a fixed amount (e.g., AED 500/month) or a percentage |
| Employee Contribution | Conditional | The employee's share (only applicable for Co-Paid benefits) |
| Effective Date | Yes | When this benefit becomes available for enrollment |
| Expiry Date | No | When this benefit expires (leave blank for ongoing benefits) |
| Eligible Departments | No | Restrict eligibility to specific departments (leave empty for all) |
| Eligible Roles | No | Restrict eligibility to specific roles (leave empty for all) |
| Max Enrollees | No | Maximum number of employees who can enroll (leave blank for unlimited) |
- Click Save to create the benefit.
For co-paid benefits, the employee's contribution is typically deducted from their salary during payroll. Ensure the employee contribution amount is clearly communicated to employees before they enroll.
Enrolling Employees
Individual Enrollment
To enroll a single employee in a benefit:
- Open the benefit detail by clicking on it in the table.
- Go to the Enrolled Employees tab.
- Click Enroll Employee.
- Select the employee from the dropdown.
- Set the enrollment start date.
- Click Confirm.
Bulk Enrollment
To enroll multiple employees at once:
- Open the benefit detail.
- Go to the Enrolled Employees tab.
- Click Bulk Enroll.
- Choose the scope: All Employees, Specific Department, or Specific Role.
- Review the list of employees who will be enrolled.
- Click Confirm.
When enrolling employees in co-paid benefits, ensure they have been informed about the employee contribution amount that will be deducted from their salary. Surprise deductions can lead to payroll disputes.
Managing Enrollments
The Enrolled Employees tab within each benefit shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Employee | Name and employee ID |
| Department | Employee's department |
| Enrollment Date | When the employee was enrolled |
| Employer Cost | Monthly or annual employer cost for this employee |
| Employee Cost | Monthly or annual cost to the employee (for co-paid benefits) |
| Status | Active, Suspended, or Terminated |
Terminating an Enrollment
To remove an employee from a benefit:
- Find the employee in the enrolled list.
- Click on their row.
- Click Terminate Enrollment.
- Set the termination effective date.
- Provide a reason (e.g., "Employee resigned," "Benefit no longer applicable").
- Click Confirm.
The employee's enrollment will end on the specified date, and any related payroll deductions will stop after that date.
Editing a Benefit
To modify an existing benefit:
- Click on the benefit in the table.
- Update the fields as needed.
- Click Save.
| Change | Impact |
|---|---|
| Name / Description | Display only -- no financial impact |
| Contribution Amounts | Only applies to new enrollments and future payroll periods. Existing enrollments are not automatically updated |
| Eligibility | Only affects who can be enrolled going forward. Existing enrollments are preserved |
| Effective / Expiry Dates | Affects when the benefit is available for new enrollments |
Deactivating a Benefit
If a benefit is no longer offered:
- Open the benefit detail.
- Toggle the Status to Inactive.
- Click Save.
Deactivating a benefit:
- Prevents new enrollments
- Does not automatically terminate existing enrollments (these must be handled separately)
- Keeps historical data intact for reporting
Before deactivating a benefit, review the enrolled employees list and terminate all active enrollments first. This ensures no employees are unexpectedly losing coverage and no payroll deductions continue after the benefit ends.
Best Practices
- Review annually -- Revisit your benefit programs at least once a year to ensure they remain competitive and cost-effective.
- Communicate clearly -- When adding or changing benefits, send a company-wide announcement explaining what is available and how to enroll.
- Track costs -- Use the enrolled employees view to monitor total employer cost per benefit. This data helps with budget planning.
- Set eligibility thoughtfully -- Not every benefit needs to be available to everyone. Use department and role restrictions to target benefits appropriately.
- Coordinate with offboarding -- Include benefit termination in your employee offboarding checklist to avoid paying for former employees.