Fall Marks the Beginning of HR's Busy Season

Author: Tracy Morley, XpertHR Legal Editor

Fall...easily my favorite time of year! With it, comes the start of the football season, crisp, cool weather, pumpkin and apple picking and of course, the beautiful fall foliage.

Fall also marks the beginning of one of HR's busiest times where - in continuing our football spirit - we "kick-off" with open enrollment.

While open enrollment is most certainly at the forefront, as benefit professionals we know we are ultimately responsible for:

  • Delivering a benefits program that attracts, retains and engages employees;
  • Controlling costs;
  • Having an effective communication strategy; and
  • Simplifying administration and ensuring compliance.

So how do we accomplish this? XpertHR offers a variety of tools and resources designed to help you meet the challenges associated with effectively balancing compliance, communication, a competitive advantage and cost.

The regulatory environment has a significant impact on how employee benefit plans are designed and administered.

Take a look at the Benefit Communications section for tips on developing effective and engaging benefit messages designed to:

  • Help employees understand their benefits and the choices available to them;
  • Educate employees on the value of their benefits; and
  • Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Remember, having an effective benefit communication strategy helps to ensure that employers and employees get the most from the substantial investment an employer makes in benefits.

Aligning the benefits vision with the employer's business goals clearly demonstrates how HR contributes to the bottom line. Visit Benefit Planning and Design to see how having a benefits strategy that is linked to business strategy can serve as a significant competitive advantage for employers.

There are only so many dollars to spend on employee benefits so a key part of the strategy is to determine how much to invest and how to manage the cost. There are multiple approaches to managing health care costs, but don't forget to look to our How Tos for practical ways to manage workers' compensation costs, implement wellness programs and conduct dependent eligibility audits.

XpertHR is here to support you as you "kick-off" your programs. We are committed to ensuring you have the up-to-date resources you need to help meet your employment challenges.