BEYOND OPEN ENROLLMENT: HOW PEOS CAN HELP CLIENTS IMPROVE BENEFITS COMMUNICATION

PEOs already play a critical role in helping clients navigate healthcare benefits. But as employee expectations continue to evolve, there is a meaningful opportunity to expand that role beyond plan administration and open enrollment support.

Offering strong benefits is only part of the equation. Employees also need to understand what is available, why it matters, and how to use those benefits when they need them most.

Too often, benefits communication is treated as an annual event. Employees receive a large volume of information during open enrollment, make quick decisions, and then are expected to remember the details months later when a question, life change or healthcare need arises.

That approach leaves too much value on the table. When PEOs help clients communicate benefits more clearly, consistently and personally, they strengthen the employee experience and reinforce their own role as strategic advisors.

COMMUNICATION MATTERS

Employees increasingly expect communication that reflects their needs, timing, and circumstances. According to MetLife’s Employee Benefit Trends Study, cited by Milliman, more than 55 percent of employees said they wish they received more personalized benefit recommendations. Nearly half said they would feel more cared for if their employer improved benefits communications.

That is an important signal for employers and the PEOs who support them. Employees are not simply asking for more information. They are asking for better guidance: communication that is timely, relevant, easy to understand and connected to the decisions they are actually making.

For PEOs, this creates a practical opportunity to add value beyond administration and compliance. When employees understand and use their benefits, employers are more likely to see the return on one of their largest workforce investments.

ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL

Many organizations still rely on broad reminders sent to the entire workforce. While those messages may be efficient, they are not always effective. Employees have different needs depending on their life stage, benefit elections, location, family situation, tenure and current level of engagement.

PEOs can help clients move from one-size-fits-all messaging toward more segmented communication strategies. Segmentation does not have to be overly complicated to be useful. Even simple audience groups can make communication more relevant and actionable.

Segmentation opportunities may include: Employee life stage, benefit eligibility, geographic location, new hire status, enrollment activity, timing throughout the employee experience and specific benefit participation.

New hires may benefit from onboarding communications that explain available benefits, enrollment deadlines, and where to find support. Employees enrolled in health savings accounts may appreciate reminders about contribution limits and educational content that helps them maximize their accounts. Remote employees may benefit from information about telehealth services and virtual care options.

Employees with dependents may need reminders about dependent care resources and available support programs. Employees approaching retirement may benefit from targeted education related to future healthcare planning considerations.

The goal is not simply to communicate more often. It is to communicate more meaningfully. When communication reflects employees’ actual circumstances, it becomes easier to understand, easier to act on, and more valuable to the employee.

BEYOND OPEN ENROLLMENT

Benefits communication should not begin and end with open enrollment. Employees make healthcare decisions throughout the year. Questions come up when they experience a major life event, seek medical care, welcome a new dependent, evaluate mental health support or try to understand how a benefit applies to their situation.

PEOs can help clients build year-round communication plans that educate employees before decisions become urgent. This helps benefits feel less like a once-a-year transaction and more like an ongoing resource for employee well-being.

Year-round communication touchpoints may include:

• Preventive care reminders early in the calendar year
• Flexible Spending Account contribution reminders before key deadlines
• Mental health resources promoted during Mental Health Awareness Month
• Wellness program updates and participation opportunities throughout the year
• Dependent care benefit reminders before back-to-school periods
• Telehealth education during cold and flu season
• Open enrollment preparation communications several weeks before enrollment begins

Consistent communication helps employees make informed decisions before needs become urgent. It also reinforces that benefits are not just enrollment options; they are resources designed to support employees and their families throughout the year.

CONSISTENCY COUNTS

PEOs can also help clients use technology to make benefits communication more consistent and more relevant. Automated workflows, targeted lists and scheduled campaigns can ensure important messages are delivered at the right time, without requiring HR teams to manually manage every touchpoint.

For example, automated reminders for employees who have not completed open enrollment, or onboarding workflows that introduce new hires to available benefits over their first several weeks of employment. Follow-up communications that reinforce important enrollment deadlines and targeted educational campaigns focused on underutilized benefits such as employee assistance programs, wellness initiatives or telehealth services are also potential use cases.

Automation should support, not replace, the human element. Employees still need opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification, especially when they are making healthcare decisions that affect themselves or their families.

Technology is most effective when it makes communication more timely and relevant while preserving the personal guidance employees value.

ENROLLMENT ISN’T ENOUGH

Successful benefits communication extends beyond ensuring employees complete enrollment forms on time. PEOs can encourage clients to look beyond enrollment numbers and evaluate whether employees understand, use, and value the benefits available to them.

Useful indicators may include:

• Participation rates in wellness programs
• Utilization of Employee Assistance Programs
• Engagement with preventive care services
• Employee feedback regarding understanding of available benefits

These insights can help clients identify communication gaps and improve their approach over time. If employees remain unaware of valuable resources or underutilize available programs, it may signal that the benefits are not being communicated in a way that is clear, timely or relevant enough.

THE ADVISOR ADVANTAGE

Healthcare benefits represent one of the most significant investments employers make in their workforce. Yet employees cannot fully appreciate that investment if they are unsure what resources are available, how to access them, or when to use them.

Clear, proactive and personalized communication helps employees feel informed and supported. It reduces confusion, builds confidence in healthcare decisions, and reinforces an employer’s commitment to employee well-being.

The same MetLife study found that nearly half of employees said they would feel more cared for if their employer improved benefits communications. When employees receive timely, relevant information that aligns with their needs, benefits become more than a transaction. They become a tangible demonstration that their employer cares.

For PEOs, helping clients close the gap between offering benefits and helping employees understand them creates a powerful opportunity to strengthen employee experiences and demonstrate value that extends beyond benefits administration.

The goal is not simply to increase awareness. It is to help employees understand the value of their benefits, take appropriate action and feel supported throughout their employment journey.

By guiding clients toward more segmented, proactive and year-round communication strategies, PEOs can help improve benefits understanding and utilization while strengthening their role as trusted advisors.