Commuter
Benefits Enrollment & Changes
Effective immediately, you can now set up a Commuter Parking account to pay for your parking expenses incurred while commuting to and from work on a pre-tax basis, in addition to the current Commuter Transit option. See below for details.
You have the option to enroll in Commuter when making benefit elections as a new employee, during open enrollment, or when changing benefits midyear due to a qualified change in status. However, you may also enroll or make changes to this benefit at any time of the year - no change in status is required. Open Enrollment is typically held November 1 – 15 each year, and elections made during this period become effective January 1 of the next calendar year.
Commuter Benefits / Wex
Changes to coverage for 2024:
Monthly Contribution Limit increased from $300 to $315.
Transportation Types & Limits
Commuter costs can pile up, especially in major cities. Instead of paying more for your transportation to and from work, save costs by taking advantage of a Commuter Benefits plan. A commuter plan allows you to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified transit, vanpooling, and parking expenses. Commuter benefits let you pay for transportation to and from work with tax-free money.
Examples of eligible transportation for transit benefits include train, bus, subway, and ferry.
Examples of eligible parking expenses include parking at or near public transportation to get to work, parking meters at or near work, and parking passes. Parking at a temporary work location, or parking expenses not related to commuting to work are not eligible expenses.
Commuter dollars can be used toward uberPOOL and Lyft Line rides in select cities. The Wex debit card can also be added as a payment method in the uberPOOL and Lyft Line apps.
Transit and Parking are two separate accounts and must be elected separately. There is a separate IRS contribution limit of $315 per month for each account for 2024.
How It Works
You will make an election in Workday to enroll in Commuter Benefits. Enter the amount per month you want deducted from your paycheck pre-tax to pay for your transportation and/or parking to and from work.
Once you've made that election, the amount elected will be deducted from your pay.
This monthly election will continue month-to-month until you take action to stop or change the amount.
Don’t let large balances accumulate to prevent losing funds if your employment ends or your transit needs change. Consider changing monthly deductions as often as needed so you are using funds as you are paying them into your account each paycheck. You must submit claims for reimbursement within 180 days of the date the expense was incurred.
If your employment ends, your final commuter paycheck deduction can only be used to reimburse you for commuter expenses that occurred prior to your last day of employment. Therefore, if you anticipate leaving the company, you may want to consider stopping payroll deductions for Commuter prior to your final paycheck.
Important Note: If you stop participating in the Commuter Benefit or your employment ends, you have 60 days from the date your Commuter Benefit or employment ends to submit expenses incurred within the past 180 days while you were enrolled in the benefit. Expenses incurred after the benefit end-date are not eligible, even if the expense is not yet 180 days old.
Accessing Funds
There are a few ways you can access your Commuter Benefits.
Wex Debit Card
You can use your Wex debit card to pay providers directly at the time of service from your transit account. If you are also enrolled in the Maritz medical plan and already have a Wex debit card for your HSA, you will use the same debit card for your Commuter Benefit. You are able to use the same debit card for all benefits you have with Wex. The technology built into the card knows which type of expense you are incurring and will deduct the funds from the correct account. If you do not have the Maritz medical plan with HSA, then a debit card will be issued and mailed to you after you enroll in the Commuter Benefit.
If a transit provider does not accept debit card payments, you can pay out of pocket and submit a reimbursement request through the Wex mobile app or your consumer portal no later than 180 days after the date the transit pass was purchased. Sign up for direct deposit to receive your reimbursement as quickly as possible.
Because residents of the Washington, DC area may be unable to use the Wex debit card, Maritz has elected to participate in the Wex SmartCommute Program. The SmartCommute program allows you to load commuter dollars onto a reloadable smart card in select cities and easily transfer funds from your Wex commuter account onto the card.