Benefits Communication in the Workplace

“It’s all in the delivery when communicating your benefits”

How many times have you heard this expression?!

This often-used idea can be applied to many different situations including the “delivery” or communication between Plan Administrators and Employees.

An employee benefits program is only as good as the communication strategy you use to relay the information. No matter how impressive your benefits package may be, your employees may not value it unless they really understand what is being offered. Employee benefits such as medical and dental plans, practitioner services, educational reimbursements, can all be key factors in recruiting and retaining employees. When it comes to relaying benefits information in the workplace, please keep in mind that your communication method(s) should cater to employees of different backgrounds, levels of education, ages and stages of life. You should also consider the simplicity of the information being delivered.

When communicating benefits information, it is most effective and useful to use all available communication channels. The most successful forms of communication harness a unified message and delivers this message using multiple methods to get the message out. Make sure your benefits communications recognize employee demographics and accommodates the range of worker diversity.  For example, a common communication channel for younger employees may be inexplicable to older workers. Now-a-days, we may believe that email and social media posts are an efficient and effective way of relaying information and updates to employees.  However, some non-millennials may not necessarily have a Facebook/Twitter/Instagram or MySpace J account – and they may not even have access to email!  Keep in mind that you should attempt to cater to multi-generational workplaces (if yours happens to be one); as well as multi-ethnic, multi-racial, multi-lingual, etc.

Some methods of communication may include posters, announcement boards, direct-mail, employer website, educational videos, social media platforms and phone conversations. Utilizing most, if not all of these channels, enables you to communicate with a wide range of employees.  Dupuis Langen also offers in-person employee meetings to introduce (or re-introduce) the benefits package, answer questions, and provide clarification.

Benefits information can be overwhelming and confusing for new employees as well as existing employees. Simple and effective benefits communication can lead to an increase in your employees’ motivation to remain with your Company, by enhancing their satisfaction with the overall benefits package.

Benefits are very personal, and many changes in benefit plans/coverage are a result of personal life events. Be sensitive to the information at hand and help reduce the stress of your employees by offering simple ways to communicate. Greater transparency about the total benefits package, can not only have a positive impact on the company’s performance, but also on the overall employee morale.