Admit it, you run your life on your phone…it’s ok I do, too. So why shouldn’t employees be able to learn about their benefits on the go without the pressure of enrolling at the same time? As an industry we have relied on enrollment platforms to educate employees as they enroll, but we rarely discuss the added pressure that puts on an employee. We say that we want to employees to spend more time learning about their benefits and really understanding them so why do we tie their education to their enrollment…

Let’s change that by separating the two functions so employees have a true education resource where they can read, ask questions, and develop their benefits plan. Enrollment season already brings stress for many employees because they aren’t sure what benefits to choose.

You are probably thinking…what about benefit group meetings? Those are an education resource without the pressure of enrollment. It’s true, they are, the problem we are finding is that they may work for some employees, but not all of them. Many employees really struggle to change gears during the workday from their job over to benefits. They know that benefits are important for their financial security, but it is hard for everyone to get into the right frame of mind during the day. Offering different resources allows employees to choose when they are ready to engage with their benefits and ask questions. For many of them, this might be outside their workday.

I recently worked with a team to create Benefits Explorer to help with these exact issues and it is a true education resource to help prepare employees for enrolling. We developed it with the employee in mind, so it offers plain language, videos, payment examples, and more. Employees can learn about their benefits on their schedule when they are ready. The most requested feature is the direct access to benefit counselors where employees can ask questions about any of their benefits. Employees appreciate the privacy of not having to ask personal questions in front of others. Benefits Explorer supports all your core and voluntary benefits, even if they aren’t from Sun Life. We want to help employees understand their complete benefits package no matter the carrier.  

The financial security provided by employee benefits is more important now than ever. We all have stories of someone close to us who has had an unexpected illness and missed work. Offering benefits to help in those situations makes a huge difference for so many people. My goal is to continue to find new ways to help employees understand the financial security benefits can provide, things like Benefits Explorer.

This article is meant to provide general information only. It’s not professional medical or legal advice, or a substitute for that advice.

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, Wellesley Hills, MA. For New York group policies: Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.), Lansing, MI

GVGR-10904