Over the last few months, the landscape of the modern workplace has dramatically changed. From furloughed workers to full-time telecommuters to employee parents with unexpected homeschooling duties, a lot remains unprecedented and unknown for the global workforce. This uncertainty coupled with a lack of in-person interaction is creating a chasm between employees and their HR advocates. And it could be fueling a culture of “employee disconnect”.

In Tips For a Successful Open Enrollment: Part 1, we broke down the numerous ways an active approach to Open Enrollment can help combat employee fatigue and ensure the 50% of employees who are indifferent to the process are excited (or at least compelled) to take action. 

In Part 2, we’ll now take a look at the most effective ways to communicate with them once you’ve gotten their attention (and if you still haven’t). 

A seamless Open Enrollment experience is one of the most pressing organizational priorities this time of year. And as different as 2020 is, providing that seamless experience is even more important. In fact, with a drastically altered outlook for most employers, it is even more essential to keep things running smoothly as we head into 2021.

Along with the standard Open Enrollment speed bumps and frenzied push for employees to make key benefits decisions, this season brings the added nuances of workers who are sidelined at home – uncertain about their future and concerned about their health and well-being. 

Whether it’s expediting the candidate experience, enriching employee onboarding, streamlining Open Enrollment or tackling a one-off issue, it’s generally assumed that employees can look to their employers for insights, information and timely solutions. In fact, 67% of employees believe their employer offers the most effective response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

And, while it’s more critical than ever for employers to communicate through challenges their workers are facing, it’s equally important to admit the unknowns. If you don’t have all the answers, it’s okay to say so. Be as transparent as possible about the ways your organization is working to get answers, respond to obstacles and uncertainty in a timely manner, and don’t be afraid to overcommunicate as needed.

As employers begin planning for this year’s Open Enrollment season, many are facing the newfound challenge of educating employees about benefits selections from afar. COVID-19 has ushered in a whole new world of work for companies around the globe, and clear and consistent employee communications are essential to keeping workforces connected and informed.

With that said, Open Enrollment is still an opportune time to engage your employees and update them on benefits they can use to navigate these unprecedented times. It’s also a proactive way to highlight offerings that enhance employee wellness — even (and especially) if they’re working from home.

The Situation: How COVID is Changing the Way We Work

The unprecedented circumstances surrounding COVID-19 heightened the need for clear and compassionate employee communications. As workers quickly transitioned from a "typical" workday to some juggling remote work and wondering what returning to work would be like in the "new normal", many have turned to their employers for clarity about what comes next.

When COVID-19 began its rapid spread, it brought with it a wave of uncertainty and unexpected changes for employees. Our client, a leading global specialty chemical manufacturing and performance materials company, recognized the toll the pandemic could take on its employees' well-being right away. During this time, they observed a noticeable decline in Employee Assistance Program (EAP) activities in Q1 (down 33% from Q1 2019) and participation in their Well-Being program was pacing behind 2019 metrics.

If you are an HR professional or a benefits specialist, capturing employees' attention can be a challenge even in optimal Open Enrollment scenarios. This season, the unprecedented circumstances surrounding COVID-19 are adding an extra layer of complexity and the need for technological tools and communications that can reach an expanding remote workforce.

As employees grapple with a shifting sense of “normal,” many are working from home with additional responsibilities— from homeschooling their children to helping high-risk family members stay safe in isolation. Not to mention the stresses that can stem from job security and an uncertain global future.

The Pressing Need for Virtual Enrollment

From healthcare coverage to contribution elections, Employee Assistance Programs and other ancillary benefits, getting employees to make timely benefits decisions will be more crucial than ever in a COVID-19 world. But how will you provide benefits information to employees who might be working remotely or facing imminent changes to their employment status?

This season, think about offering a virtual Open Enrollment, so you can capture and keep employees' attention, regardless of where they are. If you have an existing benefits website or intranet, you’re already a step in the right direction!

During this unprecedented time, technology is the crucial bridge between many employees and their workplaces. It is even more essential to communicate effectively as well as create opportunities to connect despite the distance. It can be challenging to get the message out to employees across varying locations without the right communication tools to keep them engaged. 

Video is an effective medium you can use to help cut through the noise and capture employees’ attention. Video communications allow you to connect in a clear, authentic way and motivate vividly and visually, capturing the kind of realism that an email or phone call simply cannot. 

Internal communications videos are popular, cost-friendly, easy-to-create tools you can use to increase employee engagement, spark team collaboration and ensure reusable, secure content to keep in your organizational archives.

The last time Ocean Spray was featured on our blog, we focused on their efforts (and success) in implementing an employee benefits website. Now that employees are comfortable with digital communications, how do we make more of an impact, gain insight and build toward the future? The organic next step was to create a strategy and management plan that would enable their communications to continually evolve and adapt to their employees’ needs. Read on to see how we helped.

There are certain employee communication plans you hope your organization never has to use. They stay tucked away in the shared drive for an unthinkable and unlikely day. But with the rapidly-evolving coronavirus pandemic blindsiding employers around the globe, the unfathomable is becoming the norm. Some are left to dig out their crisis communication plans while others are starting a draft from scratch.