The 5 Open Enrollment Communication Mistakes Employers Keep Making (and How to Fix Them)

Emails, information sessions, and resources all play an important role in open enrollment. But the true measure of success is whether employees understand their options well enough to make confident, informed decisions.

That's where many open enrollment communication strategies fall short. Employers often invest significant time and effort into preparing enrollment materials, yet employees can still feel overwhelmed, confused by benefits terminology, or unsure where to go with questions.

As you prepare for open enrollment, take a look at five common communication mistakes that can leave employees feeling overwhelmed, confused, or uncertain about their benefits decisions and what you can do to avoid them.

When communication begins at the same time as open enrollment, employees are expected to learn about plan changes, review their current elections, compare options, estimate healthcare expenses, and make decisions within a short period of time. That's a lot to ask.

When communication starts too late, employees are forced to learn and decide at the same time. As a result, some may delay acting until the last minute, while others simply stick with familiar elections without fully evaluating their options.

Start communicating before enrollment opens. Early messages can build awareness, preview important changes, highlight key dates, and encourage employees to begin thinking about their benefits needs before they have to actually make a decision.

The strongest open enrollment campaigns often build on benefits education that has already been occurring throughout the year. Timely reminders about account deadlines, eligible expenses, life events, or underutilized benefits can help employees stay engaged and be better prepared when enrollment season arrives.

Not every employee approaches open enrollment the same way. Some want to review every detail, while others simply want to understand what's changing and what actions they need to take.

When every communication attempts to explain every account, rule, deadline, and enrollment step, it can be difficult for employees to identify what is most relevant to them. Important information may get lost, and employees may struggle to determine where to focus their attention.

Organize communications around specific topics, decisions, or actions rather than trying to cover everything in one place.

For example, one communication might focus on enrollment dates and important changes, while another highlights available benefits resources or explains a commonly misunderstood benefit. Breaking information into smaller, more focused communications can help employees find the information they need when they need it.

HR professionals and benefits advisors work with benefits terminology every day. Employees don't.

Even when employees recognize terms like deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, HSA, or FSA, they may not fully understand how those concepts apply to their own situation.

Use plain language whenever possible and provide real-world examples that help employees connect benefits information to their lives.

Rather than simply listing plan features, explain how benefits may help employees prepare for healthcare expenses, manage dependent care costs, or save for future needs.

The goal isn't to turn employees into benefits experts. It's to help them make confident, informed choices.

A well-written email is valuable, but it shouldn't be an entire strategy.

Some employees closely read emails. Others are more likely to engage with videos, benefit fairs, webinars, printed materials, online resources, or manager-led discussions. No single channel reaches everyone effectively.

Use a mix of communication channels that reflect your workforce and reinforce important messages throughout the enrollment period. You don't need to be everywhere. The goal is simply to make information accessible and increase the likelihood that employees will see, understand, and act on it.

To support these efforts, EBC provides communication toolkits with resources employers can use to educate employees, reinforce key messages, and promote engagement throughout the enrollment process.

Employees may be unsure about eligibility, enrollment steps, eligible expenses, plan differences, or account rules. If they don't know where to go for help, they may postpone their decision or make an election they don't fully understand.

Make help easy to find and mention it often. Clearly communicate where employees can go with questions, what resources are available, and who can provide guidance throughout the enrollment period.

When employees know where to turn for answers, they're more likely to feel confident in their decisions.

Many of these mistakes have one thing in common: they focus on getting information in front of employees rather than helping employees understand and act on that information.

Starting early, communicating intentionally, simplifying complex topics, focusing on employee needs, and providing opportunities for questions can all help create a more effective enrollment experience.

A successful open enrollment experience goes beyond distributing materials and reminders. It happens when employees have the clarity they need to understand their options and feel confident in their decisions.