Benefits during two weeks notice

Question

Say I give my two weeks notice on a Monday, let's say the first of the month. I have a doctor appointment on that Friday. Will my medical benefits still be active to help pay for the appointment? Also, what if I'm called in for jury duty during my last weeks, will that impact anything?

Answer 1

You should still have benefits for the duration of your employment unless your employer informs you otherwise. You should also be eligible for COBRA Coverage in the event that your employer terminates your benefits.

Jury Duty will depend on your employer. Most Jury summons come with a phone number that you can call if you would be unable to serve during the scheduled period. If you are summoned during your notice I would call that number and ask them to reschedule you for a time after you have settled into your new job. My wife was summoned shortly after she stared her job and used this number. They were happy to push the summons back 3 months.

Answer 2

Typically, in the US, your medical benefits are valid until the end of the month in which your employment ends. So, if you submit your 2 weeks notice on October 19th, for a final day of employment on November 2nd, your medical benefits are in place until November 30th. This is usually defined between the Employer and the Insurance company and may not apply if the company is self-insured or has less than 20 employees. Obviously, a precise answer can be provided by your HR department.

However, if you are in your notice period and still working, then you are still insured. Chad has the Jury Duty question covered.

Answer 3

The actual day that coverage ends is dependent on the company. It could be the end of the month or it could be on your last day of work. I even knew of one company that covered you for a few weeks because they owed vacation pay.

Keep in mind that other benefits will end at the same time such as transportation / parking. Make sure you submit everything quickly so you can get reimbursed as quickly as possible.

Pay attention to the balance in your medical and child care savings account. You don't want to leave money on the table, and you don't want to overdraw. The last day of coverage will be the last day of work. Though you will be able to submit bills for a few weeks after your last day.

They should continue the 401K match for the last paycheck, and may even apply it to any vacation hours they pay. You might want to adjust your contribution rate depending on the program of your new employer. Remember that the maximum contribution counts all your contributions across all employers.