Life Events & Updating Your Benefits
Changes in Status Due to Qualifying Life EventsUpdating Your Benefits After Life Events
Generally, you are only allowed to update your benefit elections when you first become eligible and during the annual open enrollment period. Life happens, however, and sometimes you will need to make changes to your benefits by requesting a change in status.
What Qualifies as a Life Event?
The life events listed below are considered qualifying life events.
- Change in employment status, such as part-time to full-time Team Member (31 days to enroll)
- Death of a family member
- Birth/adoption of child
- Marriage
- Divorce/legal separation
- Gain/loss of other coverage for you or a dependent
- Beginning/end of domestic partnership relationship
How to Request a Change in Status
If you experience a qualifying life event as defined on this page, you will have 30 days following the date of the life event to make changes to your benefit elections, and this change in status must be consistent with the life event.
To request changes to your benefits outside of the open enrollment period due to a qualifying life event, you must log in to Workday and complete the Qualifying Life Event Form within 30 days of the life event to avoid paying retroactive premiums.
Some documentation may be required with your request. Acceptable forms of documentation may be a marriage certificate, divorce decree, benefit confirmation statement with dates, employer letter with dates, etc.
Dependent Verification Audit
If you are adding a dependent to your medical and/or dental coverage, our third-party vendor, Consova, will contact you directly to conduct a dependent eligibility audit. This audit must be completed in order for your dependent(s) to be verified as eligible for the Michaels plan(s).
For more information about dependent eligibility requirements, visit this link: Eligibility.
Helpful Resources
Grief Counseling
Linked below is an overview of the grief counseling resources and services available to full-time Team Members and family members navigating the loss of a loved one.
Employment Status Change
If your employment status is changing from part-time to full-time, or from full-time to part-time, you’ll have different Michaels benefit options. Follow the link below for more detailed information about this life event.
Get Support
For assistance, contact Team Member Services at 855-432-MIKE (6453) and select option 2, available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. You can also open a Knowledge Zone support ticket.