Employers 

Open Enrollment has always been stressful for employers with information to disseminate, choices to consider, tracking who has and who has not completed the process, and recording their choices. COVID-19 throws additional challenges into the mix. With many people working remotely, communication is an issue:

• No in-person meetings with benefits providers or the employer benefits team

• No office benefits information fairs

• No distributing printed materials on site

Employees

Employees are already feeling overwhelmed. Coming in the fall, the enrollment period catches many workers dealing with difficult decisions regarding their children’s education. Will schools be holding in-person classes? Do parents want to send their kids to schools when they seem unsafe? What about child care or homeschooling?

Some employees have experienced the loss of loved ones to COVID-19 or are caring for family members battling it. Others are recovering themselves. Faced with choices unimagined this time last year, employees may see benefits enrollment as just one more decision they don’t have the energy to make.

Responding to the new reality

Be transparent

Transparency helps everyone feel like they are part of the team, and that’s especially important now, when they may feel isolated and disconnected. One guide¹ suggests letting employees know how COVID-19 has impacted the company and how it has affected its benefits. If your organization has changed its offerings, give the employees the story. Let them know why you decided to make the changes, and make sure they understand the coverage provided by the new offerings.

Distributing forms and information

As mentioned above, getting needed information to your employees is a challenge since many are not in the office or physical worksite. Many articles on this topic encourage employers to deliver benefits enrollment documents online, which seems like an obvious choice. However, that is not true for everyone. There are a few considerations to keep in mind:

• A SHRM article points out that “…rules regarding when an employer can use electronic means to deliver benefits communications are complicated and may not allow many employers to simply e-mail open enrollment materials or post them online.”²
• All employees may not have access to reliable internet services.
• Some people prefer reading paper documents and are less likely to review online information carefully.

If you mail paper documents, lower costs by ensuring the materials are clear and succinctly written, reducing their size and improving readability.

Webinars and video meetings

Even if you must mail paper documentation, online resources can play a vital role in effectively communicating with employees.

• Video conferencing can replace Benefit Enrollment Fairs or other in-person events usually held at this time of year. An organization’s benefits team could be on hand to outline choices and answer questions. You might invite experts from the benefit providers to attend and present their plans.
• A series of individual events, each addressing a single topic, would allow employees to choose which they want to attend and not overwhelm attendees with too much information.
• Record a webcast, including slides that visually present the information, and post it on your company website or video channel where employees can view it on demand.
• Provide opportunities for one-on-one conversations to address particular needs.

Start Early

No matter what combination of approaches you use to educate your employees about their benefits choices or how they will enroll, begin the communication early. Many of us are procrastinators in the best of times. During this pandemic, that tendency may worsen as the high-stress level can affect the ability to stay focused. Small bits of information don’t feel overwhelming. Send reminders of deadlines and available resources often.

Managing the changes

Many organizations manually track employee benefits choices. Even if employees sign up on a benefits manager portal, once enrollment is complete, that data still must be entered into HRMS and payroll systems. Paperless forms and interfacing with third-party benefits managers make keeping track of employee choices easier.

We can help

Delphia has several products that can make Benefits Enrollment easier. Benefit Portal Interface for Sage HRMS streamlines data transfer between Sage HRMS and a third-party benefit portal used to manage employee benefits open enrollment and life events. Sage HRSM Benefits Enrollment moves benefits open enrollment online. Sage HRSM Benefits Messenger automates the transfer of benefits information in Sage HRMS to most benefit carriers offering medical, dental, and vision plans.

If you’re a Sage HRMS user and would like more information, visit our website, give us a call at 1.888.421,2004, or fill out our Contact Product Sales form, and we’ll be in touch.

Sources:

1. Guide to Open Enrollment 2020 in the COVID-19 Pandemic
2. Viewpoint: Tips for Conducting Open Enrollment During a Pandemic – SHRM