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It sounds like you do not yet know if this is happening or has happened to any other participants? Is there any possibility that, for example, it is a simple mistake and the deferrals have been deposited to the account of another participant? Such things DO happen. You may want to consider, before calling in the DOL, simply asking your employer why your deferrals are not showing up in your account. If the answer is unsatisfactory, unclear, or standard BS stonewalling, then by all means contact the DOL. I'd just be very hesitant to contact the DOL without at least giving the company the opportunity to explain or discover a simple and honest mistake. If it WAS an honest mistake, and you sic the DOL on them, it may bode poorly for your future at the company, which may or may not be a bad thing from your viewpoint.

Not a requirement, but definitely best practice. It's likely that your plan offerings change every year--either options, covered benefits, cost sharing or premium costs--so it's important that your employees take the opportunity annually to make sure their elections still make sense for them. In addition, the enrollment process gives you as the employer an opportunity to verify dependent information, which may be needed for ACA reporting and/or spousal surcharge administration. Annual enrollment is the one time a year that almost every employer communicates about benefits (never mind that it should be a year-round exercise). Forcing an active election will also encourage more employees (and their families!) to review any and all information you can provide them about their benefits package and how to use it effectively--and these days, anything we can do to improve health literacy and health insurance literacy, the better off we all (employers and employees alike) will be.