Benefits education shows employees you care
What is benefits education?
Benefits education provides employees with the information they need to understand their options and which benefits are right for them. Employees can appreciate their benefits more when their employer prepares them for enrollment, helping them feel informed and knowledgeable. While many employees enroll in benefits, roughly 4 in 10 feel they do not understand their benefits well, and 1 in 5 are unsure whether supplemental benefits (accident, critical illness and cancer insurance) are offered.1 This confusion is due to a lack of consistent communication.
Communicating Benefits
A benefits package is a valuable part of employee compensation. However, many employees miss out on benefits because they don’t know what is available. Many employees are aware of life, vision and dental but tend to miss supplemental benefits. Supplemental benefits are more personalized, so usefulness depends on each employee’s lifestyle. Therefore, a lack of employee benefits education can cause some employees to miss out on the best plan for them.
It is a common misconception that many employees get annoyed about frequent emails regarding benefits. So, what is the preferred communication method? More than 1 in 3 employees preferred to receive benefits information to their work email address.2 This inbox is most likely the one they check most frequently, so they will not miss the communication. As for the frequency, 69% of employees would prefer to receive benefits communication throughout the year. 3
Learning about benefits can be confusing. If all the information is sent out during or just before the enrollment period, it may overwhelm your employees. Learn more ways to increase benefits education: How to delight employees and create exceptional benefits education
How much do employees care about benefits?
Next to salary and work-life balance, more than half of employees cite medical benefits as one of the top five factors they look for in an employer.4 Understanding their benefits and benefit options gives employees the chance to make better benefits decisions. Employees value benefits with 63% saying that their benefits packages make them at least slightly more inclined to stay with their current employer.5 Learn ways to use benefits to increase employee retention: Overcoming talent shortages through employee engagement
This blog is up to date as of September 2022 and has not been updated for changes in the law, administration or current events.
