Can an Admin Switch to an Employee Role, or Skip the Benefit Entirely?

This usually comes up as one of two different questions, so start with whichever matches your situation:

"I just don't want the benefit dollars, but I still need to manage the account" — see Section 1.
"I actually want to change my Role from Admin to Employee (or vice versa)" — see Section 2.
"I handle HR/admin tasks here but I'm not sure I should be treated as a benefits-eligible employee at all" — see Section 3 — this is often the real underlying question.

Section 1: Being an Admin doesn't require you to accept the benefit

Your Role (Admin or Employee) controls platform permissions — things like managing company settings, adding team members, and approving reimbursements. It's separate from whether you're enrolled to receive ICHRA benefit dollars. When any team member is set up, they're given the choice to Accept, Waive, or Learn More about the benefit. Choosing Waive means you keep full Admin access with zero benefit enrollment.

If you think you were enrolled with a reimbursement allowance you don't want, another Admin can open your record under Add Employees and update your enrollment status or set your reimbursement allowance to $0. If you're the only Admin on the account, email support@stretchdollar.com and we can help adjust it.

Section 2: Changing your Role from Admin to Employee (or the reverse)

Go to Add Employees in the left navigation.
Click into your own record.
Change the Role field to Employee (or Admin).
Save your changes.

Important: every account needs at least one active Admin. If you're currently the only Admin, you won't be able to downgrade yourself to Employee-only first — there has to be someone who can manage settings, add or remove team members, and approve reimbursements. Promote another team member to Admin first, confirm they can log in and access admin functions, and only then change your own Role.

Section 3: Who can actually use the benefit? (Role isn't the deciding factor)

If your real question is whether you personally qualify for the benefit at all — separate from whatever Role you hold in the portal — that comes down to your actual employment relationship with the business, not your platform permissions:

Can use the benefit	Cannot use the benefit
Common-law W-2 employees who've met the applicable waiting period	1099 independent contractors
HR or admin staff who are genuine W-2 employees of this business	Owners/partners with more than 2% ownership, and their spouses or dependents who also hold over 2% — see Why can't S-Corp owners participate in the StretchDollar ICHRA?
	HR/admin staff who are contracted through a different company — like a PEO, staffing agency, or a broker's own staff — rather than employed directly by this business. The benefit is only for this employer's own common-law employees.

Being set up as an Admin doesn't change any of the above — it's entirely possible to be an eligible W-2 employee and an Admin, or to be an Admin who isn't eligible at all because of how you're actually employed. See I Don't Want to Be Considered an Employee — What Do I Do? for the full breakdown by situation.

Not sure which section applies to you? Email support@stretchdollar.com and let us know: are you asking about your platform permissions, your benefit enrollment, or whether you're eligible at all — that'll get you the right answer faster.

This information is general guidance, not tax or legal advice. If your situation involves ownership percentage or employment classification, consult a CPA or tax advisor to confirm how it applies to you.