Recent research highlights a glaring gap in traditional benefits strategies: 21% of HR executives report that insufficient guidance during Open Enrollment serves as the main barrier to benefits utilization, while 26% point to a complete lack of ongoing education outside of enrollment season as the biggest obstacle holding employees back.
According to Robert Deshaies, Chief Operating Officer at WEX, when benefits communications are crammed into a brief window, high-value programs like HSAs and student loan repayment assistance get frequently sidelined. He advises HR leaders to meet their employees where they are, when they have the bandwidth to absorb the information.