Employees not engaged in annual enrollment?

Results from MetLife’s 13th Annual Employee Benefit Trends Study confirm what most HR professionals already know: employees simply aren’t engaged in the annual enrollment process. But this isn’t due to a lack of interest. It’s from lack of understanding because their benefits communications aren’t easy to understand. Employee benefits are too complex to navigate and too time-consuming to figure out without some guidance.
While employees are playing a larger role in making benefits decisions, they aren’t always confident that they’re making the right decisions. And they feel like they just don’t understand the options.

Key findings from the study show that:

  • 61% of employees make their annual enrollment selections as soon as they are notified. 14% wait until the last minute. The reason for this is because employees aren’t educated about company benefits.
  • Overall, 37% of employees say they need more help in understanding how their benefits work and which benefits meet their needs. This percentage increases to 54% for younger workers.
  • Employees who find their benefits communications effective are twice as likely to be loyal to their company. 74% said their benefits communications helped them make smart choices.

As you develop your benefits communications, keep the results of this study in mind. Provide your employees with links to decision making, price transparency and health care quality tools. Educate your employees about the importance of engaging in all aspects of their benefits so they choose options that best meet their needs. And provide benefits information throughout the year with personalized messaging that targets each generation in the workforce.

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