Eligibility and Enrollment Errors: How They Happen and How to Prevent Them

In this episode of the Brown Edwards Benefits Buzz podcast, host Brittany Quinn, audit partner at Brown Edwards, is joined by Katelyn Tolliver to discuss one of the most common — and preventable — compliance pitfalls facing employee benefit plans: eligibility and enrollment errors. Together, they break down how these errors occur across 401(k)s, ESOPs, and health and welfare plans, walking through real-world examples like incorrect service calculations, missed auto-enrollment settings, HR and payroll miscommunication, and TPA transitions gone wrong. They also cover why these errors matter from a compliance, financial, and employee trust standpoint, and share practical prevention strategies. Plus, they explain what plan sponsors should do if an error is discovered, including how the IRS's EPCRS correction program and the SECURE 2.0 Act's expanded self-correction provisions can help.