Companies spend big bucks on employee benefits—millions of dollars in many cases. Naturally, they want employees to understand the value of those benefits as part of their overall compensation. Yet many companies only communicate about benefits during open enrollment when employees are making decisions for the next year. Once a year isn’t enough if you not only want employees to value their benefits but also actually understand and use them to their advantage.
Year-round benefit communications should be part of every HR department’s annual planning. Talking about benefits January through December sends the message that benefits are a key way the company cares about employees. Plus, regular benefit reminders help eliminate common mistakes and help ensure benefits get used (or used properly).
A Quarterly Communications Plan
Some companies start with quarterly communications to highlight benefits and begin building awareness outside of open enrollment. For example, a quarterly calendar might focus on:
| Timing | Theme | Content |
| Q1 | Health & Wellness | Tips about medical, prescription, dental and vision plans |
| Q2 | Financial Wellness | Reminders about retirement plan, life insurance and disability |
| Q3 | Work-life Balance | Reminders about time off, leaves, childcare benefits, etc |
| Q4 | Open Enrollment | Information about selecting benefits for the next year |
A Monthly Communications Plan
Others like to communicate more frequently and set a monthly benefits communications plan. Below is a sample plan:
| January Financial wellness |
February Pharmacy benefits |
March Dental and vision |
| April Employee Assistance Program |
May Preventive health |
June Education assistance/student loans |
| July Disability and life insurance |
August Voluntary benefits |
September Medical benefits |
| October Open enrollment |
November Family-friendly benefits |
December Benefit reminders for year ahead |
A Personalized Communications Plan
Some organizations use a more personalized communications plan during an employee’s first year. This approach gives regular touchpoints during the year as an employee gets acclimated and familiar with their benefits.
| Timing | Content |
| Month 1 | Welcome aboard (overview of benefits, how to enroll) |
| Month 3 | Retirement plan (including company contributions) and financial wellness resources |
| Month 6 | Family-friendly benefits and other work/life resources |
| Month 9 | How to get the most out of your benefits |
| Month 12 | Congrats on one-year of employment / Are you taking advantage of all we offer? |
All of these communications strategies help you make employee benefits a year-round conversation. If you’re ready to start planning, we can help. Simply reach out at helloindy@westcomm.com to get started.
