How to set up your clients for enrollment success

Thirty minutes. That’s about how long it takes to get the oil changed in your car or grab a quick sandwich on your lunch break. And that might sound like a decent investment of time for those humdrum details of daily life. But is it enough time for workers to make vitally important financial protection decisions that will affect them and their families for a year or even longer?

Probably not. And yet recent research from Unum shows nearly half of America’s workers spend 30 minutes or less reviewing their benefits before enrollment. Maybe that’s because they’re avoiding what many perceive to be an unpleasant task: The same study showed a significant number of workers feel stressed (21 percent), confused (22 percent) and anxious (20 percent) when enrolling in their benefits.

This is bad news for you, your clients and their workers. Employees who aren’t engaged in their benefits programs are hurting themselves by missing coverage they might need. They’re hurting your clients who are wasting money on benefits employees don’t use or appreciate. And you could be falling short of participation requirements and reducing your income stream.