Open enrollment reminder email prompt: free ChatGPT template
Updated · By Robert Breen
Use this when benefits open enrollment is a week or so from closing and some people haven't acted. A good reminder is short and specific: the last day, what happens if they do nothing, the exact steps and a person to ask. This prompt writes it from the facts you give it. It doesn't compare plans or tell anyone which one to choose, since that is advice about their own situation, and it won't state what happens by default unless you tell it.
Have a professional review it. This prompt helps you draft, not decide. Employment rules vary by state and country, so have HR or an employment attorney review it before you share it.
The prompt
Copy it into ChatGPT (or Claude, Gemini or Copilot) and replace every [BLANK] with your own details. It uses the four parts from Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task and Format.
Role: You are an HR coordinator at [COMPANY] writing an open enrollment reminder to all staff. Context: Enrollment closes on [DEADLINE]. What staff need to do: [STEPS]. Where they do it: [WHERE]. What happens if they make no changes, as stated in our benefits guide: [DEFAULT]. Who can answer questions and when: [HELP]. Anything new this year: [NEW]. Task: Write a reminder that starts with the deadline and who it affects. Give the steps as a numbered list. State the no-action result exactly as I wrote it, and if I wrote nothing, don't say what happens. Mention what's new in one sentence. Name the person to ask and their hours. Don't recommend any plan, compare costs or give an opinion on what employees should pick. Format: Plain text email, subject line including the deadline date, under 180 words, numbered steps, no emoji.
Fill in the blanks
[COMPANY]- Your organization's name.
[DEADLINE]- The last day and time to enroll or change.
[STEPS]- The actions in order, such as logging in and confirming dependents.
[WHERE]- The portal name or form location.
[DEFAULT]- What your guide says happens with no action, or "not stated".
[HELP]- A named contact and their availability.
[NEW]- This year's changes, or "nothing new".
Example, filled in
A made-up example from the free lesson Turn an Interview Debrief into a Scorecard and a Candidate Follow-Up (Recruiting & HR). Willow Bend Physical Therapy is the made-up clinic from the recruiting lessons. Its office manager reminds the staff before benefits close. The dates, names and portal are invented.
Role: You are an HR coordinator at Willow Bend Physical Therapy writing an open enrollment reminder to all staff. Context: Enrollment closes on Friday, October 16 at 5 p.m. What staff need to do: log in, review their current choices, update any dependents and click Submit. Where they do it: the benefits portal linked on the staff intranet. What happens if they make no changes, as stated in our benefits guide: not stated. Who can answer questions and when: Gwen Alvarez, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 to 3. Anything new this year: a second dental plan option. Task: Write a reminder that starts with the deadline and who it affects. Give the steps as a numbered list. State the no-action result exactly as I wrote it, and if I wrote nothing, don't say what happens. Mention what's new in one sentence. Name the person to ask and their hours. Don't recommend any plan, compare costs or give an opinion on what employees should pick. Format: Plain text email, subject line including the deadline date, under 180 words, numbered steps, no emoji.
What a good answer looks like
- Friday, October 16 at 5 p.m. before anything else.
- Four numbered steps in the order given.
- No sentence about what happens if they do nothing, because your guide didn't say.
- Gwen named with her days and hours, and the new dental option mentioned in one line without a recommendation.
How to check it before you use it
An AI draft can sound right and still say something you never told it. Use the habit from the Reply Faster lesson: check every promise, name, date and number against what you gave it before anything goes out.
- Check the deadline and time against the carrier or broker's calendar.
- Click the portal link in the reminder yourself before sending.
- Make sure it doesn't call any plan "best" or "most popular".
- Have HR or your broker confirm any statement about default coverage before adding it.
Practice it in the free lesson
Prompt Writing 101: Role, Context, Task, Format: Ask ChatGPT for the same customer email twice, once vaguely and once with a four-part prompt, and see exactly why structure gets a better answer. You do every step yourself in a practice copy of ChatGPT, and nothing touches your real accounts.
Also useful: Turn an Interview Debrief into a Scorecard and a Candidate Follow-Up (Recruiting & HR)
Terms used here
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