A benefit has two contributions: the employee's share and the company's share. You set each one separately when you add or edit the benefit. Go to People from the sidebar, click the employee's name, and open the "Benefits" tab.
You can set each share in one of three ways. A share uses one way at a time. If you change it, the new setting replaces the old one.
The three ways to set a contribution
A flat amount per payroll. Use it when the same dollar amount comes out of every paycheck.
A percent of gross pay per payroll. Gross pay is pay before taxes and deductions. Use it when the contribution goes up and down with pay, such as a retirement contribution of 5% of each paycheck.
An amount per period (monthly). Use it for a monthly premium. Enter the premium and Freedom splits it across the payrolls in the month.
To check how a benefit is set, go to Benefits > People. The "Employee contribution" and "Company contribution" columns show a dollar amount or a percent. For a dollar amount, the "Period" column shows "Per payroll" for a flat amount or "Per period (monthly)" for a monthly amount.
How Freedom splits a monthly amount
The split depends on how often the employee is paid:
Weekly: split across the first 4 payrolls of the month. A 5th payroll in the month has no deduction.
Every two weeks: split across the first 2 payrolls of the month. A 3rd payroll in the month has no deduction.
Twice a month: half on each payroll.
Monthly: the full amount.
Quarterly: 3 times the monthly amount on each payroll.
Once a year: 12 times the monthly amount on each payroll.
Example: a $400 monthly amount is $100 on each of four weekly payrolls, or $200 on each of two payrolls for an employee paid every two weeks.
Start and end dates
A benefit has a start date and can have an end date. You set them when you add or edit the benefit on the employee's "Benefits" tab. To see them for your whole team, go to Benefits > People. The "Start date" and "End date" columns show the dates. A benefit with no end date shows "Ongoing" in the "End date" column.
The "Status" column is based on today's date in Eastern time:
Upcoming: the start date is after today.
Active: the start date is today or earlier, and the end date is today, later, or empty.
Ended: the end date is before today.
The table shows "Active" and "Upcoming" benefits at first. To see "Ended" benefits, change the "Status" filter.
Note: To pick the benefit type, see Choose the right benefit type. For the steps to add one, see Add a benefit to an employee.