Breaks in Service

Resuming Your Benefits After Returning to Work

What is a Break in Service?

If you have no hours of service for 14 weeks or longer, you will be considered as having a break in service. When you return to work, you will be treated like a new Team Member for benefits and will be subject to the initial eligibility review as described in Initial Eligibility & Enrollment.

  • If you return or are rehired and begin accruing hours of service within 14 weeks of your last day of service or your termination date, you will not be considered as having had a break in service and your eligibility will not be reset.
  • If you are benefits-eligible upon your return, you will have the opportunity to re-elect benefits effective the first of the month following or coinciding with your rehire date. You will have 45 days from your benefits effective date to enroll in coverage. For example, if you can join the benefits plan starting on June 1, you will have until July 15 to enroll.

If you are benefit-eligible and your break in services lasts less than 30 days, your previous benefit elections will be automatically reinstated with no gap in coverage.