As many organizations have adopted remote or hybrid work models, managing benefits open enrollment has become more difficult. Gone are the days of employees gathering in conference rooms to review benefits paperwork and ask Human Resources questions. These days, employees for any given employer could be spread across different states and time zones, making in person meetings nearly impossible. Employers are facing challenges of adapting their benefits enrollment to ensure their employees are well-informed and engaged with their benefits offering. This calls for innovative strategies and digital tools to help facilitate communication, enhance accessibility, and personalize the experience for all workers, regardless of where they are.

Complete Your Renewal Activities

First and foremost, you will need to complete your renewal activities prior to open enrollment. As your plan year comes to a close, it’s important to take required actions in a timely fashion so you can complete open enrollment during the proper time. Your renewal process will look different depending on which products you offer. Watch for emails from EBC that provide detailed instructions on what actions you will need to take to complete your annual renewal.

Start Planning Early

Since a one-size fits all approach is no longer an option for most employers when it comes to open enrollment, it’s never too early to start planning. Once you have your plans officially renewed and important documents distributed, it’s time to consider how you will reach your employees so they understand their benefits and can make informed decisions.

Choose Your Distribution Channels

First, consider different areas where employees may seek benefits information. You should consider your workforce when choosing communication channels. Are you a mainly remote workforce? Focus on repetitive digital messaging. What about hybrid? You will likely want to ensure there’s information presented both digitally and in the physical work location.

Some suggested channels may include:

• Employee intranet postings
• Email campaigns
• Mailing information to an employee’s home or handing out physical materials in person
• Virtual or in person benefits educational presentation
• Virtual or in person drop-in office hours with an HR representative
• Short video clips

Choosing to provide information through multiple modalities can help ensure your employees are getting all necessary information regardless of their work schedule or work location.

Consider Your Employees

Another important factor when preparing for open enrollment is the characteristics of your employees. If you have employees in different time zones, consider this when scheduling virtual benefit office hours. You will want to make sure your employees will be able to attend scheduled meetings at a time that is during their workday.

With five generations in the workforce, it’s important to consider all employees and choose channels that are comfortable to everybody. A recent report found that 44% of employees aged 59 and up prefer paper documents to learn about their benefits. This means, it may not be worth completely ditching physical documentation distribution for open enrollment materials just yet. On the other hand, all other generations prefer to get benefits information on their phone, tablet, or laptop. Understanding what your employees want and how they learn best is crucial to their benefits education.

Continue Your Efforts Year Round

To help your employees understand and make the most of their benefits, it’s crucial to expand communication efforts beyond open enrollment season. Finding ways to provide timely reminders about deadlines or other valuable seasonal topics can help participants understand what their benefits truly offer.

Your communications should vary depending on what benefits you offer. For example, if you offer an HSA, you may wish to send communications about investment and interest options to help your accountholders better understand the long-term value of maintaining an HSA balance.

EBC offers our clients communication toolkits, which make it easy to promote your benefits to your employees. Use these available resources to promote benefits to your employees and increase participation in your benefits. These communication materials share important reminders about where to shop, information on using the Benefits Card, eligible expense information, mobile app/online account details, and much more! Access the communication toolkits under the Resources section of the main menu of your employer online account.