How to Help Employees Take Charge of Their Benefits

By Jimmy Hinton, Wes Hudnall, and Chris Menard

            If there’s anything certain about the current work environment, it’s that it’s … uncertain.

            As a human resources manager (and an employee yourself), you’re likely besieged with questions and concerns about whether and when your employees can safely return to the workplace, if you have the technology and resources to support remote work for an extended period, and how your company will manage the financial pressure of a slowed economy — and that’s just for starters.

            With fall benefits enrollments just around the corner, you may also face uncertainty about how to effectively communicate with employees and help them select and enroll in the benefits they need. Never an easy undertaking, it’ll be more challenging than ever this year when employees are stressed, distracted and geographically isolated.

            You can play an important role in ensuring employees have the support and resources they need to combat this uncertainty, take charge of their benefits, and protect their families from whatever the future brings.

Benefits matter more than ever, but …

            If this year has taught us anything, it’s the importance of our health and the value in taking every opportunity to protect it. But despite the daily reminders of how vital it is to protect our physical, emotional and financial health, many workers seem unwilling to set aside the time to understand their needs and options.

            In fact, research shows nearly 3 in 4 employees rush through their annual enrollments each year. A recent Colonial Life survey¹ showed 41% spend less than 30 minutes considering their workplace benefits at enrollment time. An additional 32% spend just 30 to 60 minutes learning about their benefits choices. Think about that: The large majority of employees spend an hour or less on decisions that can have a significant financial impact on them and their families for a year or longer.

            Surprisingly, employees who are the least confident in their knowledge of the benefits available to them at work are most likely to rush through the enrollment process. Nearly 90% of employees who reported not understanding their benefits “at all” said they plan to spend less than an hour on enrollment this year.

            And that’s bad news for your employees and your business, because employees who don’t understand their benefits participate at lower levels, engage less strongly with the company, and don’t value the considerable investment you’re making in the benefits package.

Offering benefits isn’t enough

            Your company can help employees become more engaged in their benefits program by providing both comprehensive communication about benefits options before the enrollment and opportunities for employees to get personalized support during enrollment — even in a virtual environment.

            The virtual aspect of benefits education and enrollment is one thing that should actually be easier this year. All of us have been forced to accomplish more things remotely, from staff meetings to doctor visits. Many employers are taking that lesson and applying it to this year’s benefits enrollment.

            Another recent survey² showed the number of employers who plan to offer employees the opportunity to enroll via videoconferencing or co-browsing with a benefits counselor has nearly doubled, from 23% in 2019 to 42% this year. And 22% will offer individualized, real-time support through telephone enrollments, about the same as last year.

            Those virtual “high touch” enrollment methods will replace in-person meetings for many employers: Only about a third will enroll in person this year, compared to nearly half a year ago. The number of employers planning to use online self-service enrollment increased a bit from 47% to 54%.

            These trends are likely to continue long term, as more benefits providers and enrollment companies develop technology solutions to deliver a personalized experience for employees in multiple locations and situations. Virtual meeting technology can be complemented by call center resources, online scheduling and a wide variety of engaging digital communications, including e-postcards, custom websites and videos, and mobile apps to reach employees when and where it works best for them.

            Be sure your benefits provider can offer a broad spectrum of innovative benefits communication and enrollment solutions this year. By implementing the right strategies and tools designed to help your employees to take charge of their benefits, you’re certain to have a more successful enrollment this fall.

1. Online survey of 1,200 U.S. adults administered March 23–30, 2020 by Dynata on behalf of Colonial Life
2. Online survey of 4,077 U.S. employers administered June 11–16, 2020 by Dynata on behalf of Unum