How To Prepare Your Employees for Open Enrollment
Open enrollment is a critical time for employers and employees. For employers, it’s an administrative burden, and a drain on time and resources. For employees, the process can be overwhelming, especially when they’re facing deadlines, new choices or many choices. The choices they make during this short window have long-lasting effects on their financial situations, health and well-being.
However high the stakes may be, open enrollment doesn’t have to be a negative experience. With thoughtful planning, training and communication, you can help your employees make the best benefit decisions for themselves and their families.
In this article, we’ll explain how to prepare your employees for open enrollment in an efficient way.
Communicate early, clearly and through multiple channels
Effective communication begins before open enrollment, not during the rush of active signups. For this reason, it’s critical to inform your employees about key dates and deadlines. Give them ample time before the period begins to ask questions, attend trainings, view recordings and assess their options.
Early communication is especially important if you’re moving to an online benefits enrollment system. Employees need time to get comfortable with the platform. Providing employees with training on how to use the system or app can help them avoid panic during open enrollment. Live demonstrations and how-to videos are popular options.
Another key consideration is clarity. In your open enrollment communications, use simple language that explains key benefit terms like copays, deductibles and coinsurance. You can also include resources like FAQ sheets, videos and benefits dictionaries to aid the decision-making process.
Finally, send your communications through various channels. Employees frequently miss communications, so it’s best to use email, instant messaging, calendar reminders, physical flyers and in-person announcements to reach everyone effectively.
Make sure employees have 24/7 access to information about their benefits options
Employees often consider their benefits options during off-hours. If you can make your benefits information available 24/7, you can help them make informed decisions during their downtime. This is particularly important if your employees have dependents and need to speak about benefits information with their families.
Ask your benefits provider what types of information they offer, and if they can provide your employees with access to online platforms. Some of the most advanced benefit providers can grant employees access to tools that allow them to compare benefits options, associated costs, copays, coinsurance amounts and more. Some tools even deliver tailored benefit recommendations based on each employee’s details and past elections.
Offering 24/7 access to benefits information and support helps ensure smooth enrollment periods year after year. It also allows employees to get their questions answered in real time.
Offer benefit trainings
Many organizations don’t have the internal resources to host benefit trainings themselves, but your benefits provider may be able to offer one virtually or in-person. These trainings can be helpful, especially for employees who are new to the workforce, new to your organization or experiencing life changes like planning for dependents.
Some benefits providers even offer hands-on assistance during open enrollment. An experienced advisor can work with an employee one-on-one to explain the benefits available to them and answer questions as they arise.
Encourage employees to make elections before open enrollment begins
Encourage employees to begin thinking about their benefits choices well before open enrollment. If your benefits election platform is online, let employees know they can access the platform before the start of open enrollment to view their options.
Explore new technologies to help open enrollment go more smoothly
If your organization is new to the online enrollment system, take the time to familiarize yourself with its features so you can deliver the most value to your employees. Modern tools can simplify the enrollment process. These include:
- Mobile apps for on-the-go access
- Comprehensive platforms that let employees manage multiple benefit elections (e.g., medical, dental, life insurance and retirement plan) all at once
- Benefit calculators and comparison tools that help employees assess which plan best suits their lifestyle and needs
Talk to your benefits broker
Your benefits broker is an invaluable resource for all things open enrollment. Reach out with questions and ideas for making your process go more smoothly.
This content is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing professional, financial, medical or legal advice. You should contact your licensed professional to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.