News and tips from your People Team
You have until November 2 to review and confirm your 2027 benefits. Nothing to change? You still need to re-elect your FSA. Tap to see what is changing.
Answer 4 quick questions to see which plan fits your family. It compares premiums, deductibles, and HSA funding side by side, then hands you a recommendation you can carry straight into enrollment.
Try Plan FinderMissed Tuesday? The 25 minute replay covers what is changing for 2027, how the HSA match works, and the three questions we got most. Captions included, link in the hub documents.
Northwind adds $500 a year, or $1,000 when you cover dependents. It rolls over, it is yours to keep, and you can invest it once the balance passes $1,000.
A Northwind parent used a $0 telehealth visit at 2am for a feverish toddler and had a prescription waiting by 8am. Nobody left the house. Telehealth is $0 on the Tobie Standard Plan, save the number before you need it.
Market trend this year is close to 9%. We negotiated hard, and Northwind is absorbing most of the increase: paycheck costs rise about 4% on the Standard plan and stay flat on the HSA plan. Benefits are a shared investment and we intend to keep it that way.
If you have 2025 FSA expenses you have not claimed, the runout window closes June 30. Snap a photo of the receipt in the WEX app and you are done. The average unclaimed balance last year was $212, do not leave yours behind.
Save the date: on-site flu shot clinics run October 6 to 8 in the second floor wellness room, with a pharmacy voucher option for remote folks. Free with your medical plan, walk-ins welcome. Calendar invites land in September.
Saturday morning was perfect. The spring 5K raised $3,400 for the regional children's hospital and broke our turnout record. First timers, walkers, strollers, one very good dog. Drop your photos in the comments, and see you at the fall trail day.
The wellness benefit reimburses up to $50 a month for gyms, studios, and race fees. Submit any receipt through the WEX portal, approvals usually land within three business days. Yoga in the park counts too.
Starting July 1, all new parents at Northwind get 16 weeks of fully paid leave, up from 10, plus a four week phased return. Adoption and foster placements included. The full policy and FAQ are in the hub documents.
Your plan covers free counseling sessions through the EAP, plus virtual therapy with no referral needed. This month we are also hosting a Wednesday walking group and a quiet room on the second floor. Asking for help is a benefit you already pay for. Use it.
Dental challenge time. Floss daily through May, log it in the wellness app, and anyone with a 25 day streak gets entered to win a smart toothbrush. Your dental plan covers two cleanings at 100%, book the summer one now while slots are open.
Spring cohort, you have 31 days from your start date to pick your benefits. Orientation covered the basics, the hub covers the rest. Questions go to the Benefits Center, or ask them right here in the comments.
VSP Choice gives you a $10 exam copay and a frame allowance every plan year, and unused allowances disappear when the year resets. Staring at screens all day? Ask about the blue light coating, it is covered.
Northwind matches 100% of the first 4% you contribute. If you are below 4%, you are leaving free money on the table, and raising it takes two minutes in the portal. Bonus move: turn on the 1% annual auto-increase and forget about it.
One place for your coverage, your money accounts, short videos, and real answers. Check the feed weekly for tips and deadlines, ask Tobie anything in plain English, and tell us what is missing. This space is yours.
