Do you have your open enrollment communication plan ready for 2026? The way you communicate benefits can make or break the experience for your employees. Benefits can often be confusing and overwhelming for many employees. A year-round communication strategy—not just a big push during enrollment—helps employees better understand, remember, and use the benefits you provide.
Research shows that half of employees say a stronger understanding of their benefits would make them more loyal to their employer. Yet only 38% feel confident they know everything available to them. That gap is an opportunity for employers. When employees are more confident, they’re also more engaged at work.
Your employees aren’t just signing up for plans. They’re making choices that directly impact their families, their savings, and their future. Here are six ways to create a stronger communication plan to guide them.
1. Communicate Year-Round
Don’t overwhelm employees with one long meeting or a lengthy guide once a year. Spread information out in smaller, digestible updates through newsletters, reminders, or quick spotlights on individual benefits. This approach prevents information overload and keeps benefits top of mind.
2. Make It About Them
Frame benefits as real-life solutions, not just programs. Show how an HSA helps with unexpected medical bills or how an FSA can offset childcare costs. Connecting benefits to everyday needs makes them more relevant.
3. Use Multiple Channels
Different employees absorb information in different ways. Use a mix of emails, printed flyers in the office, internal newsletters, or even short videos. Posting reminders in common spaces or sending targeted updates ensures the message is seen more than once.
4. Host Open Enrollment Meetings or Fairs
Whether virtual or in-person, enrollment meetings and benefits fairs give employees a chance to hear directly from experts, ask questions, and compare options. They also create space for clarifying details that employees might be hesitant to ask about over email.
5. Provide Helpful Tools
Go beyond the benefits guide. Creating side-by-side plan comparisons, FAQs, digital catalogs/webpages, or a quick reference sheet can help employees quickly find the answers they need when making decisions.
6. Automate Where You Can
Simplify the enrollment process by offering online platforms that guide employees step by step. Automation reduces errors, saves time for HR, and makes it easier for employees to complete forms correctly.
Engaging benefits communication is about more than compliance. It’s about showing employees how their benefits support their families, finances, and future. A thoughtful, year-round communication plan builds confidence, increases engagement, and strengthens employee retention.
