MeatSafeMurdrer
Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California
Hi, I am a caregiver in the bay area of CA. My main employer offers a 401(k) plan, and matches up to 4%, the only requirement for starting this plan is you must have worked 1,000 hours for them to become eligible. I have worked for this employer for close to 3.5 years now, and I just checked, I worked a thousand hours in just the last year or so, so there is absolutely no question about whether or not I qualify for the 401(k). They say there are only two times a year one can enroll in the program, one was supposed to be in July, and the next is in January I believe. I contacted my employer about 6 weeks before the enrollment period, and expressed my interest in starting my 401(k). They were somewhat defensive, and annoyed (they always behave this way) and insisted that they would inform me IF I was eligible... when the time comes. My understanding is that it is the law that they must not only inform me, but help me enroll (if I choose to) just as soon as I qualify. Obviously I qualified years ago and they aren't doing their jobs. I want to know what kind of action I should take, keeping in mind that they once threatened to fire a coworker for simply asking where his 401(k) was (they had switched companies and his life savings had been missing for something like 6 months, they refused to tell him who was handling it, or give him any other info. Every time he asked about his money, they just responded by saying that it would show up any day and then they would have his info, until eventually the got sick of hearing from him about it and told him they would fire him if they emailed them about it again, he responded by reporting them to some agency and then just a day or so leter they gave him his info. )
So, basically I just want to know what I should do to get my 401(k) started when my employer is completely unwilling to do it for me?
Thanks
Hi, I am a caregiver in the bay area of CA. My main employer offers a 401(k) plan, and matches up to 4%, the only requirement for starting this plan is you must have worked 1,000 hours for them to become eligible. I have worked for this employer for close to 3.5 years now, and I just checked, I worked a thousand hours in just the last year or so, so there is absolutely no question about whether or not I qualify for the 401(k). They say there are only two times a year one can enroll in the program, one was supposed to be in July, and the next is in January I believe. I contacted my employer about 6 weeks before the enrollment period, and expressed my interest in starting my 401(k). They were somewhat defensive, and annoyed (they always behave this way) and insisted that they would inform me IF I was eligible... when the time comes. My understanding is that it is the law that they must not only inform me, but help me enroll (if I choose to) just as soon as I qualify. Obviously I qualified years ago and they aren't doing their jobs. I want to know what kind of action I should take, keeping in mind that they once threatened to fire a coworker for simply asking where his 401(k) was (they had switched companies and his life savings had been missing for something like 6 months, they refused to tell him who was handling it, or give him any other info. Every time he asked about his money, they just responded by saying that it would show up any day and then they would have his info, until eventually the got sick of hearing from him about it and told him they would fire him if they emailed them about it again, he responded by reporting them to some agency and then just a day or so leter they gave him his info. )
So, basically I just want to know what I should do to get my 401(k) started when my employer is completely unwilling to do it for me?
Thanks