Benefit Communications
Page Contents
- Federal
- Summary
- What Is Communication?
- Primary Objectives
- Regulatory Reporting and Disclosure Requirements
- Disclosure Requirements for Pension and Welfare Plans
- Summary Plan Descriptions
- Summary of Material Modifications (SMM)
- Summary Annual Reports (SAR)
- Notice of Benefit Determinations
- Plan Documents
- Disclosure Requirements for Welfare Benefit Plans That Are Group Health Plans
- Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage
- Advance Notice of Benefit Changes
- Disclosure Requirements for Pension Plans
- Educating Employees
- Educating Employees on Plan Provisions
- Educating Employees on Investment Options
- Demonstrate the Value of Benefits to Employees
- Increase Participation
- Developing a Communication Plan
- Phase I - Research and Planning
- Phase II - Develop a Communication Strategy
- Phase III - Implementation
- Phase IV - Review and Measurement
- Importance of Effectively Communicating Benefits
- Methods of Communication
- New Hire Orientation
- Open Enrollment
- Benefit Fliers
- Newsletters
- Web-Based/Self-Service Technologies
- Brochures
- Employee Handbooks
- Company Intranet or Internal Social Media
- Total Compensation Statements
- Collective Bargaining Agreements
- Communications to Retirees
- Future Developments
Author: June Mara, XL Communications Inc.
Summary
- Employees need to know about their benefits in order to use them effectively and to understand and appreciate their value. See Demonstrate the Value of Benefits to Employees.
- Communicating the value of employee benefits helps to engage and motivate employees and can help to increase retention. See Demonstrate the Value of Benefits to Employees.
- Employers should provide managers and supervisors with tools and techniques so they can support and reinforce the communications effort with their employees. See Open Enrollment.
- Benefit communications to employees should be planned and provided on a regular basis. See Developing a Communication Plan.
- It is important to strike a balance with benefit communications so employees have access to complete and accurate information, but are not overwhelmed with too many details at one time. See Developing a Communication Plan; Methods of Communication.
- Communication is most effective if various media are employed, including print, video, in-person and electronic. See Methods of Communication.
- Total compensation statements are a very effective way to demonstrate the value of benefits to employees. See Total Compensation Statements.
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