In a well-structured programme the package tier is role-bound (tiers, genuine group) – hence promotion brings a tier change. The principle is simple; in practice four questions go well or badly.
1. From when does the new tier apply?
The clean answer: from the month the appointment takes effect, with the next roster report (the routine). Fix it in the policy („from the first day of the month of the grade change") – otherwise every promotion renegotiates it as a one-off.
2. Does the waiting period restart?
The critical fine print: for the NEW tier's additional services (e.g. newly included MRI-CT, broader screening) some contracts start a new waiting period, while the already-live cover continues without a break. This differs by insurer – it is worth asking about it and fixing it at contracting, because it will be the promoted colleague's first question.
3. Who tells the colleague?
The package upgrade is the good-news part of the promotion conversation – a shame to skip. Good practice: an updated one-page summary of the new tier in the appointment pack, highlighting the delta („from now on: annual executive screening, MRI-CT diagnostics, discounted family inclusion").
4. And downward? The demotion question
Rarer but more delicate: on a role change downward (say, from management to expert track) the tier follows the grade per the policy. Tact is the minimum – and know this: during ongoing treatment, the timing of the change is also a human question. We help handle such cases individually; the point is that the rule is written in advance, not invented at the case.
The HR checklist
- At appointment: grade change flagged in the next roster report.
- The colleague receives an updated one-pager on the new tier.
- The waiting-period question clarified (per contract).
- The change rule fixed in the policy (policy article).
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