Sysco

Qualifying Life Events

You can make changes to your benefits when you experience a qualifying life event (QLE), like a marriage or the birth or adoption of a child, if:

• The changes you make are caused by and consistent with the change in status
• You make the change within 31 days of the qualifying life event (including the date of the event)

QLEs  include:

• Marriage
• Start of a domestic partnership
• Birth, adoption, or placement for adoption
• Divorce or legal separation
• End of a domestic partnership
• Death of spouse
• Death of a domestic partner
• Death of dependent
• A change in your spouse's, domestic partner's, or your dependent's employment status
• Loss of dependent status/gain of dependent status
• Residence change that effects eligibility for coverage
• Midyear expiration of COBRA
• Loss or gain of Medicare
• Loss or gain of eligibility for Medicaid/CHIP*
• Change in employer plan of spouse, former spouse, dependent, domestic partner, or former domestic partner
• Change from part-time to full-time employment** with Sysco (non-benefits eligible to benefits eligible)

It is your responsibility to confirm and verify that an individual meets the definition of a dependent and provide any and all proper documentation for dependents when requested. 

Registering a QLE  is required when adding a new dependent to your health coverage. Colleagues can register their QLE on the Total Rewards Café or by calling the Sysco Benefits Center at 1-800-55-SYSCO (1-800-557-9726). Colleagues have 31 days from the date of birth or adoption to register the QLE and submit required documentation to the Sysco Benefits Center. Please contact the Sysco Benefits Center for documentation requirements; a Social Security number is not required documentation for a birth QLE.

* If you lose or gain coverage for a state premium assistance program under Medicare or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), you have 60 days from the date of the eligibility change to request enrollment or cancellation of your benefits.

**Coverage for Sysco-sponsored benefits is effective on the first day of the month coincident with or following part-time to full- time employment status change effective date, if you already satisfied a 60-day period of active employment. If you have not already satisfied a 60-day period of active employment period on the part-time to full-time employment status change effective date, there is a waiting period based on your original hire date to become eligible for Sysco-sponsored benefits on the first day of the month following or coincident with a 60-day waiting period.

New Hire

New hires and newly-eligible colleagues have 31 days from the date of hire/eligibility to elect your benefits. If you don't make your elections within the initial 31 day period of eligibility, you'll have to wait until Benefits Enrollment unless you have a qualified life event. Benefits are effective on the first of the month on or after 31 days of employment or becoming newly-eligible.

You'll receive details about your enrollment deadline and how to enroll in the mail. To review the New Hire Checklist, click here.