 Met Council colleagues,
This email is intended for staff who do not already have Met Council accounts.
In case you missed it in our newsletters, at the end of this month, we will implement single sign-on for these two websites:
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Employee Self Service (ESS) – the employee information website where you can access pay stubs, tax documents, and more
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Benefitfocus – the website used for Open Enrollment and updating benefits after family status changes
How will this impact me?
To make this work, all employees will now have a Met Council account.
That means:
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You are getting a new Met Council account! (See details below for setting up your account.)
- And you will need to set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) if you want to log in to ESS or Benefitfocus off-site and off the Met Council network. (See details below for setting up MFA.)
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What does single sign-on mean?
The good news is you will no longer need to remember and use a separate user ID and password for these two websites!
These sites will now use your Met Council Microsoft account (your work username and password), and:
- If you are already logged in to your Met Council account on your device, you will be automatically logged in and you will not see a login screen.
- If you are not logged in already, you will land on the login page and use your Met Council username and password to sign in.
Click on the info you need to jump to the section below:
By the way, don't forget!
Open Enrollment for 2023 benefits begins Oct. 31.
Benefitfocus is the website you use to complete your enrollment, and you will now use your Met Council account to log in.
Find more information on MetNet (Human Resources > Benefits > Open Enrollment) or in the information packet mailed to your home address in late October.
Use this easy web address to log in to Benefitfocus to complete Open Enrollment:
MetroCouncil.org/BenefitsEnrollment
If you do not already have a Met Council account, you are getting one!
You are receiving a username and an initial password, which you will use to log in for the first time and then you will change to a password you choose.
Please consider logging in to Benefitfocus (MetroCouncil.org/BenefitsEnrollment) now to set up your account password, even if you’re not able or ready at this time to complete Open Enrollment. That will give you time to reach out for help in case you experience any issues.
Note: Your username for logging in looks like an email address (firstname.lastname@metc.state.mn.us), but you will not have access to the Met Council email system (Outlook).
What is my new account?
Your username is:
firstname.lastname@metc.state.mn.us
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For example:
If my name is Abby Normal, my username will be: abby.normal@metc.state.mn.us
If my full name is Abigail, though, it will be: abigail.normal@metc.state.mn.us
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You will use an initial password to log in for the first time, and then the system will prompt you to change your password to something you choose.
Your initial password is:
- (lowercase) first two letters of your last name
- (lowercase) first two letters of your first name
- your five-digit employee ID number
- an exclamation point
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For example:
Abby Normal’s initial password for their first login would be: noab12345!
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If you'd like a document with the full instructions, download or print out this single sign-on handout (PDF).
Project team members are doing additional onsite outreach to employees who do not have accounts in order to help them set up their account passwords and get access to ESS and Benefitfocus. (See onsite details below.)
If you are accessing Benefitfocus or ESS off-site – for example, on your home computer or your personal smartphone or tablet instead of using an onsite kiosk computer – when you log in you will need to complete multi-factor authentication (MFA).
MFA requires you to use two steps to log in, instead of just entering your username and password. Methods for completing MFA include a text message, phone call, mobile app, email, and security questions.
If this is your first time using MFA, you will need to set up which methods you’d like to use. You can set up MFA now before single sign-on launches at the end of this month.
Follow the instructions at MetroCouncil.org/MFA to set up and complete MFA.
If you need assistance logging in with your Met Council account or setting up MFA, please talk to your manager or supervisor, or call the Service Desk:
Service Desk
651-602-1498
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Staff from Information Services will be available at the onsite Open Enrollment info sessions in November to assist employees who need help setting up their password for their new Met Council account. Drop by any time during these open-house sessions!
| Location |
Date |
Time |
| East Metro Garage: drivers room |
Tuesday, Nov. 1 |
11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| South Garage: drivers room |
Wednesday, Nov. 2 |
1:00 to 5:00 p.m. |
| Nicollet Garage: drivers room |
Friday, Nov. 4 |
8:00 a.m. to noon |
| Heywood Garage: drivers room |
Monday, Nov. 7 |
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Overhaul Base: Training Room A |
Thursday, Nov. 10 |
7:30 to 10:30 a.m. |
Staff from Information Services will also be available at certain sites in October and November during shift changes to assist employees who need help setting up their password for their new Met Council account. Stop by if you see them at your work site and you need assistance!
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