Whether you are planning to welcome employees back to the office this fall, opt for a hybrid schedule, or continue to allow remote work, this year’s open enrollment season will once again look a lot different than what we’ve grown familiar with in years past.

David Karlin, President of National Vision Administrators, L.L.C., shared with Benefits Magazine four lessons learned from 2020 that will help ensure a smooth and successful open enrollment season for 2021 and years beyond. Click here to read the full article or continue below for the summary.

1. Virtual Solutions Offer Flexibility & Adaptability

The greatest advantage of digital solutions, such as virtual benefit fairs, is flexibility. Indeed, employees now have access to detailed benefit information from anywhere, at any time during their open enrollment window, and can easily share the information with their spouses and family members. For plan sponsors, virtual benefit fairs can also be a resource beyond open enrollment, such as when welcoming new hires.

2. Always Remember to Guide Employees

When utilizing digital tools to educate employees about benefit options, a clear and thorough step-by-step communication plan will ensure a smooth enrollment season. Videos and webinars are an effective method to deliver the must-knows about employee benefits. Employers should make sure any live videos and/or webinars remain available even after enrollment season for employees to revisit the information shared.

3. Communicate Early and Frequently

As many employers ask their workforce to return to the office this fall, employees may feel stressed and anxious about the prospect of returning to “normal” such as commuting back to work, being in close contact with larger groups, or sending their kids back to school. To avoid adding more stress to their plate, plan sponsors should block out extra time to notify employees of open enrollment changes and deadlines and schedule frequent reminders.

4. Keep Some Sense of Normalcy

While change is good, too much change in one go can be detrimental. Plan sponsors should keep certain practices the same wherever possible. For instance, keeping a similar format or design to a brochure or benefits manual may help employees know at a glance what they are looking at. Ensuring the benefit team remains available, visible, and accessible through phone calls, video chats, or emails will also help employees feel more at ease with the new enrollment practices.