Educating Employees on Benefits: Communication Is More than Providing Information

Communication is a tough job, especially when it comes to educating employees about their benefits.

Healthcare benefits plans often comprise many details and instructions. The challenge for business leaders is to take complex material and make it easy for employees to understand so they

Don't give up too soon

Every day you have many compelling projects competing for your time. Employee benefits communication can be a wearying task. After sharing the same information multiple times it's easy to convince yourself that enough has been said and its time to move on to something else. However, don't forget an important axiom of communication: When you're getting tired of communicating a message, your audience is just starting to catch on.

Recent employee surveys indicate significant dissatisfaction with employers' communication of benefits. With the spiraling costs of healthcare benefits, many employers are requiring employees to take greater responsibility for their benefits, such as participating in wellness prevention programs that encourage them to make healthier lifestyle choices and improve their physical well-being. Employees also are expected to pick up more of the cost of their health benefits, and many employers are switching to voluntary plan options.

Employees are overwhelmed by the complexity of the information about their healthcare benefits and the weight of responsibility for making the right choices for their families. Employers need to do more than just distribute packets of information. They need to invest more time to thoroughly communicate benefits to employees.

Provide resources for employees

If you needed a new appliance for your home, would you walk into the closest store and buy the first model you see? Would you spend more than $500 for a new set of tires without checking to make sure they're the right size and style for your vehicle?

Since money doesn't grow on trees, most Americans invest a considerable amount of time evaluating their choices before spending a significant amount of money on a new purchase. They'll talk to their friends for feedback on their recent buying experiences, get online to review consumer information about the products, visit several stores to explore various models and options, and read sales literature. Most people want high value for their purchases. They don't want to end up with a lemon.