Extended Health and Dental Through Work
 

Can a company force you to pay for your Benefits when you didnt want them anymore? Ive been working for my company for almost 5 years now and 2 years ago ive came to the conclusion that my benefits were completely useless to me. I brang it up to my boss that i didnt want it anymore but he said that everyone in the company must have it. A year after i paid another $1600 a year to it, and i only used it once for a teeth cleaning. I demanded to my boss that wanted off the plan, but he said that everyone in the company must have it and if i go off it, everyone in the company must be off it aswell. (At the time, 2 of my coworkers/friends needed dental work for there kids coming up so i kinda held off it) Until today, when i got my paycheque and they paid me 1.5Hrs for my christmas stat just because i took a 3 week vacation a week prior to christmas.

I was pretty livid about this, so i wanna know if i can cancel my benefits and if i can actually recoup the money i was force to pay over the years

I know this is sorta a revenge thing, but i made them a pile of money over the years, and for them to not give me my full Holiday pay is not sitting well with me. There are other reasons aswell i am doing this, but i dont need to discuss that right now

SUCK IT UP.
If you dont like your workplace. Just move on...it aint worth the drama.
Secretly look for a new job. Be professional and hide your emotions.
You'll go further in the long run.

its your company benefit plan. its not up to your boss whether or not you can be on it.
if you have a problem with it try contacting your benefit company and see what they say, but i think you'll just be wasting your time.

well you really should be going to the dentist every six months.

really @@ coz my work pays for all that stuff....... werid that your work makes u pay for it.

It doesn't matter if you held off.

The company won't drop the benefit plan, because one person doesn't want to pay for it.

Stat holiday pay is based on the work you did during the month prior to the date. You weren't entitled to a full day of stat pay, the company didn't wrong you, they fulfilled their requirements as an employer.

Your boss already told you, one person cannot go off benefits, only the entire company. Somehow, I doubt you have the authority to make that decision.

No one forced you to pay, you chose to work at the company, there's not a chance in hell you'll get any money back.

It's actually common that people pay for them. Mind you it's usually at a discounted rate.

Rice - $1600 a year? I hope you have crazy benefits, I'm talking about 100% coverage shiet because that averages to $61 a pay check and that's pretty wack. If you can't get off it then you should milk it. Ever thought about getting massages? Sunglasses?

you should be thankful to be honest. some companies don't even offer such benefits to their employees. you should be getting a check up and cleaning at the dentist atleast every 6 months or even every 3 months anyway.. but i see how you'd be livid about it. like winson604 says, just milk it.

1600 a year for benefits ......?

thats ass rape :fuckthatshit:

so glad i'm a student...i pay $200ish a year for mediocre coverage
1600...shit i'd try to get out myself lol

Man, enjoy that its there. I had a wicked extended benefits package at my old job, and they paid my MSP premiums, and those of my SO.

Then I quit to start my own biz, and now get to pay through the nose for everything.

Was in the dentists office for 45 minutes having not even a cavity repaired and it was $350.

I've been thinking about that, and I'll take my 350 back, and live with the slight sensitivity on one tooth.

you should really be asking why you are paying $1600 a year for benefits

By law your company can NOT deduct anything from your payroll besides government mandated tax withholdings with out your direct written permission.

Write and date a letter to your company asking them to cease withholding for your benefits, keep a copy for yourself. If they do not cease within 30 days, do it again. IF they still do not, contact the Employment Standards Board.

The company will be forced to either pay for you or they can tell the benefits company to terminate you, but they may not continue to withhold from you against your wishes.

As for stats, you get paid an average days work of and only if you have worked at least 20 of the last 30 days. So your vacation would have put you largely out of the right for stat pay as you were gone for at least 21 of the last 30 days and wouldn't have worked enough to meet the threshold.

Your company should be paying for your benifits and not you. The only thing they can actually make you pay for is MSP which not all companies cover. I would raise a stink cause $1600 a year for benifits on top of MSP is a complete joke.

That being said if you are paying it use that shit, get any denta work done just use it up rather then sitting on it complaing.

You need to contact the company that your benefits are with and see if they can remove you.

I will say its hard to say "we offer benefits!" when its you picking up the tab.

what kind of coverage are you getting anyways for $133 a month?

...

Extended health, my god. Where would I be without it? There are five people in my household and the money I have saved over the years is unbelievable. Company pays for part of it and I cover the rest. If you have a family, you cannot live without it. Braces, hospital stay (private room), massages, chiropractor, dental work, etc. Not to mention the many other benefits. One of my children is no longer covered due to age and the other is finishing up school. I have no idea how they are going to manage. The one with no coverage was quoted over $2, 000.00 for the dental work he needs done. The bugger never went to the dentist, damn it. I should have dragged him to the dentist while he was still covered.

My plan allows every 4 months, its great.

The OP will think very differently when he has a family and the young single guys footing the bills for his benefits want to drop out.

Its just how socialism works. Everyone pays in, and it pays for the few that use it. Just cause you're not using it now doesn't mean you won't. In 10 years of working I hadn't used anything besides dental, and this past year I maxed out my chiro/physio cause I fucked up my back - I was very glad I had the benefits.

I have friends with full health benefits from work and yet they never go to the dentist.

I tell them that they're idiots.

If you work gives it to you, use it. Especially if it leads to better health for you.

^^I can't believe I just thanked you...... LOL.

Depending on the company that does your third party coverage, there may be an option to opt out. Barring that, there may be a basic plan that you may not have to pay for. Sunlife is my provider and I have both those options (though the $40 I pay every month for 90% coverage is more than worth it).

edit: And as stated, what the company paid you for the holiday is standard for anyone not on salary.
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OP, I had the same complaint about LTD (long term disability). I used to opt out of it to save a few bucks a month, until our company merged and the new rule was the employer paid it. You'd think that would be great, employer paid benefits, yet they are taxable so now I had to pay more income tax.

I asked if I could opt out, the answer was no for the same reason, all employees must be in. Oh well, at least I have LTD coverage now. :)