As most organizations are now approaching the open enrollment season, we need to be cognizant of confusing and frustrating open enrollment processes.  A poll “was conducted in April among 2,105 employees currently receiving health care through their employer. Among those whose company offers health insurance:  Half of employees (49 percent) say making health insurance decisions is always “very stressful” for them.  41 percent feel the open enrollment process at their company is “extremely confusing.  20 percent often regret the benefits choices they make.”[1]

As leaders we need to educate our employees on making the right choice for themselves and their family.  Healthcare enrollment can be a confusing process for any employee, education and communication are crucial to ensure a successful open enrollment season.  None of our organizations want to be a statistic as mentioned above.

Below are 7 open enrollment tips to assist your organization in a successful open enrollment season:

 

  1. Develop a roadmap from start to finish for the open enrollment outcomes. This should include what you want covered by the plans and how you want to get there.  Do you want 100% participation in open enrollment?  Are you analyzing the data every day?
  2. Keep it simple. Do not assume that every person that works for you has a thorough understanding of how open enrollment works or what to choose during the open enrollment process.  Use examples that everyone can understand. Benefit enrollment is complex enough; do not make it more complex.
  3. Develop a training for the open enrollment process. Everyone learns differently, so try to develop a training system that encompasses all aspects of different learning styles.  Presenting/lecturing on benefits for 2-hours would be a challenge for me (or anyone else!) to sit through.
  4. Design checklists and handouts. Develop checklists or cheat sheets for employees to use during the process.  Handout the packet of information during the training.  Material should be basic and easily readable for a variety of literacy levels.
  5. Offer family sessions. Offer enrollment sessions that include a spouse or significant other. This can relieve some anxiety and allow for better decision making by employees for their family’s needs.
  6. Determine Frequently Asked Questions. Design a frequently asked questions handout or implement into the training.   I have found this to work well in the past.
  7. Open enrollment office hours and follow-up meetings. Establish 30-minutes to 1-hour every other day or daily dedicated to open enrollment and open enrollment questions.  If employees need to enroll online, assist them with this process during these time slots.  Follow-up throughout the process to ensure you reach the pre-established goal for the organization.

 

Open enrollment timing and processes vary by organization.  At times, this process can be confusing and frustrating to your employees.  Proactive planning and simplification wherever possible will help to ensure a successful open enrollment season.  If you have a third party or consultant scheduled to work through the open enrollment process, walk through the training with them.  Human Resources needs to understand what information is being communicated and how it will be communicated.  Ask employees before the process begins if they have any questions or concerns.  As the cost of healthcare and other benefits continues to rise, as does the complexities of the laws and regulations.  Seek guidance or help if you are unclear on the right approach.

 

 

– Matthew Burr, HR Consultant

[1] https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/open-enroll-benefits-confusion.aspx

 

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Published by Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered CIPD

Mathew W. Burr, MJ-LEL, MBA, MHRIR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CPHR-INT, Chartered MCIPD Lean Six Sigma Black Belt ABOUT: Matthew Burr has over 18-years of experience working in the human resources field, starting his career as an Industrial Relations Intern at Kennedy Valve Manufacturing to most recently founding and managing a human resource consulting company; Burr Consulting, LLC, Talentscape, LLC and Co-Owner of Labor Love, a Labor, and Employment Law poster printing company. Prior to founding the consulting firm, the majority of his career was heavy industry manufacturing and healthcare. He specializes in compliance auditing, training labor and employment law, conflict resolution, performance management, labor, and employment relations. Matthew has a generalist background in HR and operations, while providing strategic HR and operational solutions to his clients, focusing on small and medium sized organizations. He works as an Adjunct at Alfred State University, Tompkins Cortland Community College, and Montgomery Community College. He successfully designed an HR Concentration in the business management major that aligned with both SHRM and HRCI certifications, providing opportunities for students to sit for both the SHRM-CP and aPHR certifications upon completion of the degree, concentration, and internship hours as an Assistant Professor of Management at Elmira College (Retired January 2022). Matthew is also the SHRM Certification Exam Instructor, with a current pass rate of 92% on the SHRM-SCP and 83% pass rate on the SHRM-CP and a combined 88% on both exams over a 7-year period of instructing the course (Elmira College, Collin College & The College of St. Rose). Matthew works as a trainer at Tompkins Cortland Community College, Corning Community College, Broome Community College, and HR Instructor for Certification Preparation for the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). He also acts as an On-Call Mediator and Factfinder through the Public Employment Relations Board in New York State, working with public sector employers and labor unions. PUBLICATIONS: Matthew has over 70+ publications including, American Bar Association (ABA) Experience Magazine, Cornell HR Review, Business Insider, New York State Bar Association (NYSBA), PayScale, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM), and Expert 360 (in Australia). In early 2017, he published his first book, “$74,000 in 24 Months: How I killed my student loans (and you can too!),” proceeded by his second book, which was published in January 2021, “Slay the Student Loan Dragon: Tips and Tricks on How to Conquer the Student Loan Game” and his most recent book, “Unbox Your HR Career” in July 2023. VOLUNTEER WORK: Matthew is currently the New York State Society of Human Resource Management (NYSSHRM) District-Director. EDUCATION & TRAINING: Additional Training & Development:  SHRM Workplace Coaching and Mentoring Recertification Program, 2020  SHRM Foundation Employing Abilities @Work Certificate, 2020  SHRM Foundation Veterans at Work Certificate Program, 2018  Delta County Chamber of Commerce: Delta Force Leadership Program, 2013 FEATURED IN & ON: Matthew was featured on CNN Money, Fast Company, Fits Small Business, Fox News, Magnify Money, Monster.com, My Twin Tiers, Namely, Student Loan Hero, Smart Sheet and CEO Blog Nation, Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI), Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM). Burr Consulting, LLC Capabilities Statement General Information: Burr Consulting, LLC Owner: Matthew W. Burr Mission Statement: “Strategically Aligning HR as a Partner for the Success of Your Business” Contact Information: Burr Consulting, LLC What's New in HR Blog Talentscape, LLC Labor Love, LLC (Labor Posters) The HR Support Center The Upstate HR Podcast (607)227-4386 Matthew@Burrconsultingllc.com Facebook: Burr Consulting, LLC LinkedIn: Burr Consulting, LLC Twitter: @Burrconsulting Online Certification Verification: Credibly Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) Number: 080776443 NAICS Codes: 541612, 923130, 54161, 541611, 541613, 611430, 541618, 561312, 561311 SIC: 8742, 8748, 9441, 8748001, 8748026 Our Services HR MANAGEMENT New Hire Orientation; Temporary HR Support; Recruiting and Application Tracking; HR Compliance (ADA, FMLA); Employee Handbook; Policy and Procedure; HRIS; HR Audits; Job Profile Design and Revision; HR Key Performance Indicators; EEO Reporting and Classification; State Unemployment Insurance Services TRAINING & TRAINING DEVELOPMENT Organizational Development; Employee Relations; Workplace Violence; Harassment & Sexual Harassment; Union Awareness; Managerial EMPLOYEE & LABOR RELATIONS Employee Relations Training; Conflict Resolution; Mentoring; Workplace Investigations; Labor Contract Costing; Mediation & Arbitration Prep; Fact-Finding; Workplace Investigations; Coaching & Counseling; Performance Reviews; Contingency Plan Development; Contingency Plan Training; State of New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)PERB Mediation and Fact-Finding Panels (Albany, NY covering the Elmira, NY Area) HIRING & RECRUITMENT Applicant Tracking Systems; Metric Development; Interview Training; Workforce Planning; Recruitment; Interviews; Job Offers; New Hire Process POLICY & COMPENSATION Group Plans – Healthcare, Dental, Vision, Group Life, Short- and Long-Term Disability; Retirement – 401(k), Profit Sharing, Roth; Workers Compensation; Total Compensation Design and Strategy; Deferred Compensation Plans; Salary Surveys; Reward Systems; Online Payroll; Customized Payroll Processing; Employee Self Service; Customized Reporting HR COMPLIANCE MATERIALS Burr Consulting, LLC is excited to announce a new partnership with Labor Love LLC, expanding our services to include HR printed materials compliant with industry standards.

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