America's Benefit Specialist November 2022

HOW EMPLOYERS

CAN PLAN FOR HYBRID OPEN ENROLLMENT

By Phil Mason Executive Vice President, Director of Healthcare Services UMB Bank

Overland Park, Kansas Phillip.Mason@umb.com

Open enrollment is here and with more hy brid employees in the workforce than ever before, this year poses different challenges for both employers and employees. This change in the workforce forced businesses to embrace technology and get creative not only when it comes to day-to-day opera tions, but also meetings, conferences and events. Open enrollment for employee benefits will be no different. The current state of the economy has changed many people’s behaviors, and this means employees are more stressed and are starting to think more about long-term challenges. For employers, this is why wellness programs and health benefits are top of mind, as they can enable employees to invest to meet their long-term needs,

not just short-term wants. Additionally, employees will likely seek more information on how to utilize their benefits to help them weather the potential recession. With this and workforce changes in mind, it is important for employers to ac commodate the needs of employees seeking a virtual experience and those wanting an in-person session. Let’s look at some ways that employers can better prepare and plan for a beneficial and hybrid open enrollment

year’s format and any plan changes. Be sure to think about and understand the benefits employees need now versus this time last year, and the impact of COVID-19 on benefit goals. Highlight benefits that might be more useful during the pandemic, such as tele health, mental health services and coverage for COVID-19 testing and treatment. Consider conducting a survey or quiz to employees before open enrollment to gauge what aspects of a benefits package they are most interested in learning about. Employ ers can create presentations and highlight certain features based on those results. Remember, this is a chance to make the process more personal than in the past. By taking advantage of new technology that en ables one-on-one, face-to-face interactions, benefits teams can actually provide more support on-demand and have the opportu nity to make the experience more beneficial and perhaps better than before. CONSIDER A HYBRID BENEFITS FAIR. A hybrid benefits fair can engage all em ployees, including those working remotely.

session this year. PLAN EARLY.

As employers gear up for open enrollment, it can be beneficial to pause and reflect on the past year. Talk about what was effective—this can help frame the conversation around this

WITH EMPLOYEES WORKING FROM HOME AND AT THE OFFICE, ACCESS TO VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON ENROLLMENT HELP AND GUIDANCE IS A MUST.

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14 ABS | benefitspecialistmagazine.com