Open enrollment is like pulling teeth for many employees. In fact, one in four say they prefer a dental appointment to spending two hours on open enrollment, according to a new study by Bug Insights of Atlanta.
The marketing and human capital analytics company conducted the study to gain insight into unmet needs regarding health coverage and annual enrollment.
"Annual enrollment is a critical period of time for employees, yet many organizations overlook the many unique needs of each individual employee," said consultant Allyson Kuper of Bug Insights.
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Among the other findings from the report:
Benefits matter. One-half of respondents believe they could get better rewards if they go to work somewhere else. They also value benefits and coverage for their dependents. One-third said they would change jobs if benefits and coverage were cut.
Consider demographic differences. Workers age 55 and older are more than twice as likely to need additional assistance in trying to determine which plan to choose when compared with the overall population. The fact that this is the demographic that is least likely to know where to turn for help compounds the problem.
"Often, organizations will use a one-size-fits-all communications strategy despite the vast differences in needs from the employee perspective," Kuper said. "The study results underscore the importance of this — especially when you look at generational differences.
"Understanding these needs and targeting annual enrollment communications to cater to different segments of the population will help to successfully address the unique and different needs of different demographic segments."
The study included 663 participants who are employed and living in the United States.
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Alan Goforth
Alan Goforth is a freelance writer in suburban Kansas City. In addition to freelancing for several publications, he has written a dozen books about sports and other topics.
