I’ll be honest: I hate open enrollment.

The healthcare jargon, the endless “what-if” scenarios, the pressure to pick the “right” plan, it’s overwhelming. Most years, I wait until the last minute and end up making choices I only partly understand.

And I’m not alone. A survey by Voya in 2021 stated that nearly one-third of American workers admit they don’t fully understand their employee benefits. At the same time, HR teams are scrambling to guide people through confusing options before deadlines hit. A 2024 report by the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) found that 73% of employee respondents want more education on their company benefits.

The truth is, benefits are one of your strongest tools for retention and engagement, but if employees don’t understand what they’re getting, you won’t see the value you expect.

• Healthcare is complicated with endless acronyms, and fine print about networks, deductibles, and co-pays.
• Benefits packages keep changing, but employee education hasn’t caught up.
• 45% of employees still don’t fully understand their benefits.
• 65% say open enrollment feels “extremely important,” but many still delay making decisions until the last minute.

The result is predictable: Employees choose plans that don’t meet their needs, HR spends hours untangling confusion, and organizations spend money on benefits that employees don’t use.

Employees don’t need another marketing brochure from their provider. They need clear, human explanations of what their options actually mean. That starts with simplifying how you communicate:

• Use plain language and swap jargon for real-life examples.
• Break benefit plans down visually with bullets, charts, and side-by-side plan comparisons.
• Keep messages short, since most people skim emails in under 26 seconds.
• Lead with what’s changing and why it matters.

If your employees don’t understand their choices, even the best-designed benefits package won’t deliver the value you intended.

Think of open enrollment as a guided process rather than a single announcement. Multiple touchpoints work better than one long email.

1. Start Early and Use Multiple Channels

• Run email campaigns segmented by employee groups

• Use banners or countdown clocks on the HRIS homepage
• Create short video explainers for visual learners
• Post FAQs in Slack, Teams, or other internal channels

2. Educate Without Overwhelming; Focus on the Essentials First

• What is new this year?
• What actions do employees need to take and by when?
• The top FAQs and quick definitions
• Examples of common situations and what they mean for coverage

Once employees have the basics, give them access to deeper resources if they want to explore more details.

3. Make Information Scannable

People skim before they read. Start with the headline, highlight what matters, and present information in bite-sized pieces. Short, structured updates build trust and make it easier for employees to stay engaged.

Switching providers or plans is stressful. Employees may have to find new doctors, figure out new networks, or update prescriptions. That frustration builds quickly without clear communication. Here’s how to avoid confusion:

• Explain why changes are happening, whether it’s cost, usage data, or improved coverage.
• Offer simple side-by-side comparisons of old and new plans.
• Share as much as you can about how the decision was made.

Employees value transparency, and clear explanations help build trust in the process.

The success of open enrollment isn’t just about participation rates. It’s about whether employees feel confident about their decisions. Use these tips to help build confidence:

• Automate reminders to prevent last-minute stress.
• Keep messages consistent across every channel.
• Create simple, reusable resources employees can reference year-round.

With the right approach, open enrollment becomes more than a deadline. It’s an opportunity to build trust, improve engagement, and showcase the value of your benefits program.

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The information contained in this site is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.