Open Enrollment 2026
Take Time to Review Your Benefits During Open Enrollment
This is your once-a-year opportunity to review your Ohio State benefits and choose what works best for you and your family.
Ohio State offers high-quality, competitive benefits to help you manage your personal and professional life. Benefits, well-being programs and other resources are part of a valuable total rewards package designed with you in mind.
Understanding your benefits now can help you feel more confident when it’s time for you and your family to use them.
It’s important to take a few minutes to look at your options, review the 2026 plan year changes and determine your needs. This is the only time each year when you can make changes to your benefits, unless you have a qualifying life event (like getting married or having a baby).
From October 31 to November 15, 2025, you can choose benefits based on your eligibility for the following:
Your Open Enrollment Options and What to Do
Review your current benefit elections in Workday by navigating to Personal > Benefits and Pay Hub > Benefits> Benefit Elections. You may decide to:
- Keep your current benefits: No action needed; current elections automatically carry over except Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) which require annual re-enrollment.
- Enroll in new coverage: Log in to Workday during Open Enrollment and select the plans that make the most sense for you.
- Change your coverage or dependents: Log in to Workday and update your medical, dental, vision, voluntary life insurance and short-term disability plans or update your covered dependents. Be sure to follow the prompts to save and submit changes.
- Waive coverage: If you are not currently enrolled, and choose to continue waiving coverage, no action is needed. If you are currently enrolled and want to waive coverage, log in to Workday and actively waive coverage for the new plan year. If you are currently enrolled in short-term disability and wish to make a change, open enrollment is the only time that you may waive coverage.
- Enroll or re-enroll in FSAs: You must enroll each year during Open Enrollment to participate or continue participation.
Key Dates to Remember
October 31, 2025
Open Enrollment available in Workday
November 15, 2025
Open Enrollment closes in Workday
December 31, 2025
Last day to submit Open Enrollment paper election forms and complete your 2026 Personal Health and Well-being Assessment and biometric health screening
January 1, 2026
Your Open Enrollment elections go into effect
Information and Support
Ohio State Human Resources is here to help you make the best choice for you and your family. Learn more about Ohio State’s 2026 benefit offerings by joining a live webinar, viewing a recorded presentation or contacting our HR Connection customer service team.
Live Webinars
Join us to walk through the benefit changes for 2026 and what you need to consider when making choices. We will also answer questions and demonstrate how to use Workday to make your open enrollment selections. Dates, times and registration information are available in BuckeyeLearn.
Benefits Information Presentations on Demand
View a recorded 2026 Open Enrollment presentation or the presentation slides at your own pace.
Workday Open Enrollment Walk Through
Follow along with a recorded Workday Open Enrollment Walk Through video or presentation slides for instructions on how to make your Open Enrollment selections in Workday.
Direct Support
Contact an HR customer service representative if you need individual support with Open Enrollment. There are multiple ways to find help – in person, by phone or through the HR Connection portal.