10 'read-bites' for peak enrollment time
Here are 10 quick insights to help guide best practices in this unprecedented environment.
It’s October, which is peak enrollment time for many employee benefit programs. Since some of you probably don’t have time to read and absorb a long article right now, this month we will cover a handful of “read-bites”—quick insights to help guide best practices in this unprecedented environment.
1. The pandemic has created a great deal of stress for employees. During the enrollment process, it is essential that we make it as easy and clear as possible for employees. This is not the year for complications!
Related: 8 tips for building a virtual open enrollment strategy
2. Many employers offer employee assistance plans (EAPs), but employees may be unaware of their availability, especially when it comes to dependents. If the employer has an EAP, it’s a good idea to include its availability as part of the discussion.
3. If employees are stressed financially, it is a good idea to know what financial wellness resources the employer offers and communicate those up front.
4. The pandemic has made people very aware of the risk of losing their income, and of how expensive medical treatment can be. This offers talking points for income protection and supplemental medical products. And don’t forget life insurance; we’ve all been reminded of our vulnerability.
5. Since most enrollments will take place without the presence of enrollment specialists, either on computer media or on forms distributed through the mail or at work, use of a call center option for employees to get personal assistance and guidance has never been as important. Make sure there is a dialogue between the employer, your organization, and any third-party communication firm so there is a well-trained and organized call center process.
6. Many employees are feeling financial pain, either from COVID-related layoffs or furloughs, medical expenses, or simply from worry about what could happen. Make sure people understand the affordability of benefits available to them, and relevance of those benefits to employee needs.
7. The number of employees working from home presents a great opportunity to encourage them to include eligible adult dependents in the enrollment process. That works especially well since most enrollments will have a call center and it’s easy for employees to use their phone’s speaker function.
8. Video collaboration programs like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet can put the employee and benefit communications professional in contact visually. This could be especially effective for employees who are working remotely, because they will already be familiar with the technology and adding a visual element to remote enrollment is much preferred to a phone call.
9. Whether in a call center, online video enrollment or in-person sessions, encourage enrollment counselors to ask employees for feedback. This year, more than ever, employees will want to provide their input on the value of their benefits and their personal concerns.
10. Don’t forget to communicate clearly and often with the employer’s benefit management team. They will want to know how the enrollment is going, what obstacles technology may have created, what products are gaining the most acceptance, and what employee feedback is being captured.
While 2020 has been a difficult year for many of us in the benefits business, we are not alone. Use the opportunity of peak enrollment to help the millions of employees and dependents make great benefit decisions that are both affordable and relevant to them.
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