5 Tips to Get Employees ‘On-Board’ With Their Benefits Program

Congratulations! You’ve spent several months working to build the perfect Benefits program for your company and you’re finally ready to go live. You know the details of the package intimately and have ensured that it checks all the boxes to keep your team and their families happy and healthy.

However, shortly after launch, you are met with frustration and fizzle. There is some negative buzz amongst team members and it’s leaking onto social media and recruiting platforms.

The mood is that the employer (that’s you) doesn’t care because employees:

•  Believe the coverage isn’t good enough as they don’t understand the plan coverage

• Can’t see where their needs are met and are left thinking that their employer doesn’t value their good health

• Struggle to use the program or make a claim correctly and are blaming the provider for having a poor product

It can be easy to forget that the rest of your team does not have the level of insight that you do. While you are understandably excited about a plan that serves your company’s needs, employees don’t always inherently know how to take advantage of their policy - or even how valuable it really is! A negative experience can be difficult to overcome and is rarely forgotten.

New and seasoned employees benefit greatly from a cohesive onboarding plan that ensures they get the most out of their company Benefits. Communication is key when rolling out your Benefits plan and it’s important to start on the right foot.

Here are 5 tips to help avoid the above list and launch your plan with fanfare (and no fizzle):

1.     Spread the good news early!

Whether you are implementing a brand-new Benefit plan or transitioning to a new provider, this is a crucial time to make sure your employees feel informed and know how to get the most out of their Benefits.

As early as possible send an email announcing the changes (at least 30 days or more in advance) and remind them again a week before the new plan comes into effect.

As soon as you announce a new policy you should provide an overview of what will be changing for your employees. Create a table comparing their previous package with the new one if your are transitioning. This helps prevent HR being overwhelmed with questions when you announce.

During the enrolment period is when employees will be the most engaged in learning about their new program so provide as much information as you can early on. Benefit Provider promotional content and links to their website and instructional videos can be a great asset here!

2.     Develop an enrollment tip sheet

While enrollment has been made easy for employers by providers offering “self-enrollment” online, employees may still have questions about what needs to be included. Creating a customized tip sheet will help guide your team through the process.

The tip sheet should cover frequently asked questions and provide step-by-step instructions. However, you will still receive questions from your employees. Especially those with unique situations. Make sure that the team administering the plan is well briefed on how to handle specific questions including cases like Coordination of Benefits with a spousal plan, single parents, Visa employees, etc.  

You know your team best and it is the company’s job to make enrolment a success. Anticipate the specific questions or concerns your employees might have and be ready with answers!  

3.     Emphasize important deadlines

Enrolling on time is one of the most important factors in on boarding. Remember, if an employee (and their dependents) enrolls later than 31 days after their Benefit Effective Date they will be deemed a Late Enrollment. In this case the entire family may have to go through medical underwriting to be admitted to the program and can be denied all coverage by the provider. Include this deadline and the consequences of missing it in every communication you send regarding the Benefits plan enrolment.

The 31-day deadline can apply to major Life Changes for an employee experience that affects their Benefits coverage. The employer must update the Member’s profile with the birth/adoption of a child, marriage, divorce/separation but employees need to be aware of their responsibility to inform you in a timely fashion.   

Some employees, especially those that don’t use the provider mobile app for making claims, can ‘store up’ claims to submit later. Each provider has a Claims Grace Period for claims after year-end from the prior year. Reminding employees of this deadline in the New Year will avoid disappointment from old claims being denied.

4.     Set expectations

Alert employees that they will receive their ‘Welcome Email’ from the Benefits provider. This should encourage employees to register on their platform and mobile app to make claims, get reimbursed, and view their coverage along with their Benefits card and detailed plan booklet.

Remind employees not to wait to register until they have a claim. They should ensure their profiles are set up beforehand to avoid their coverage being declined by a healthcare provider due to errors (such as incorrect birth date, missing dependents, etc.).

Make sure important documents and resources are posted to the company HR portal or somewhere easily accessible to all employees especially new hires. (employee presentations, Benefits booklet, links to the provider’s Member portal and call centre number, copies of provider newsletters, calendar of their webinars and provider’s “how to” videos).

5.     Launch with your Benefits Broker or Provider

Set up a presentation for all employees with your Benefits broker or provider. Use this time to walk through all the plan details, provide tips for success, and answer any questions.

Run this presentation when employees can begin registration on the provider’s platform so they can register at the end of the presentation while it’s on their mind.

Make sure the presentation touches on how employees can access assistance on their coverage or a specific claim. The provider is bound to employee confidentiality so that is the most confidential route to getting expert assistance. Your Benefits broker can advocate for your employees when they are unsure whether to disclose information to the Benefits provider or when they are having an issue with the provider. Both providers and brokers will protect employee privacy and avoid unwanted employee health information being shared with your company.

 HOT TIP: Record this session and make it accessible for employees to access when they need a refresher or for new hires. Don’t think of this presentation as a one-time thing either, conducting additional presentations annually (or more frequently if needed) can help when onboarding large groups of employees. They also work well to clear up any negative feedback or confusion amongst team members.

We know that you are excited about your company’s benefits package, create that same excitement in your employees by presenting them with all the information they need to fully understand their coverage. You have the power to make employees big fans of the Benefits plan by effectively communicating and providing clear resources.

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Need help? Flashlite Benefits is experienced and skilled in group benefits. We understand first-hand the impact that a good benefits plan can have on a workforce. We also know the impact of the absence of one. Book a call and let us help you craft and launch a Benefit plan that fit your wants, needs and budget.