Open Enrollment Communication Strategies for Employers
How employers can turn confusing benefits information into clear, useful communication employees can act on.
You can offer a strong employee benefits package, prepare months in advance, and carefully evaluate your health plan options.
But if employees don't understand what you're offering—or what they're supposed to do during Open Enrollment—much of that preparation can lose its impact.
Employee benefits are important, but they can also be complicated.
Premiums. Deductibles. Copays. Provider networks. Prescription coverage. Enrollment deadlines. Plan changes.
For HR teams and business owners who work with benefits throughout the year, these terms may feel familiar. For employees who think about their health insurance only a few times a year, they can quickly become overwhelming.
That's why successful Open Enrollment requires more than sending enrollment documents.
It requires a communication strategy.
Here are practical ways employers can make Open Enrollment communication clearer, more useful, and easier for employees to act on.
1. Start Communicating Before Open Enrollment Begins
The first communication employees receive shouldn't arrive on the first day of enrollment.
Start preparing employees ahead of time.
An early message doesn't need to explain every plan detail. Its purpose is simply to establish:
Open Enrollment is approaching
When employees can expect more information
Whether there are important changes coming
What employees should start thinking about
Where they can go with questions
This gives employees time to consider their own healthcare needs rather than making decisions under deadline pressure.
Think of Open Enrollment communication as a sequence, not a single announcement.
2. Answer the Questions Employees Actually Have
Benefits communication often starts with what the employer wants to explain.
Try starting with what the employee wants to know.
For example:
What's changing?
How much will it cost me?
Can I keep my doctor?
Are my prescriptions covered?
What do I need to do?
When is the deadline?
Who can help me if I don't understand something?
Build your communication around those questions.
The Department of Labor notes that employees can use documents such as the Summary Plan Description (SPD) and Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) to understand how their plan works, benefits provided and costs associated with coverage. The SBC, in particular, is designed as a standardized, understandable way to compare health coverage options.
These formal documents are important, but employers can help employees navigate them by explaining where to find the information most relevant to their decisions.
3. Lead With What's Changing
If employees remember only one part of your Open Enrollment communication, make sure they understand what is different from last year.
That could include changes to:
Employee premium contributions
Deductibles or copays
Available plans
Provider networks
Prescription drug coverage
Dental or vision benefits
Other voluntary benefits
Enrollment procedures or deadlines
Don't bury important changes halfway through a long email.
Give employees a simple: 'What's New This Year?' section near the beginning.
Then direct them to the appropriate official plan materials for complete details.
4. Use Plain Language—Without Replacing Required Plan Information
Benefits terminology is sometimes unavoidable.
Confusion isn't.
Instead of filling communications with insurance terminology, explain unfamiliar terms when employees need them.
For example, employees may need help understanding the difference between a:
Premium — what is paid for coverage.
Deductible — the amount an individual generally pays for covered services before the plan begins paying according to its terms.
Copayment — a fixed amount that may be paid for a covered healthcare service.
Coinsurance — a percentage of the cost of a covered service the member may be responsible for.
Employers should still provide required plan documents and disclosures when applicable. Clear supplementary communication is there to help employees understand and use that information—not replace it.
For ERISA-covered plans, the DOL states that the SPD must be written so the average participant can understand it, while the SBC provides a standardized summary of key coverage information.
5. Don't Rely on One Email
One email is easy to miss.
And even employees who open it may not be ready to make a decision at that exact moment.
A stronger communication sequence could look like:
Before enrollment:“Open Enrollment is coming. Here's what to expect.”
At launch:“Open Enrollment is now open. Here are your options and resources.”
Midway reminder:“Have you reviewed your benefits yet?”
Before the deadline:“Open Enrollment closes soon. Complete any required action by [date].”
You can reinforce those communications through channels appropriate for your workforce, such as employee meetings, webinars, intranet updates, printed materials, or individual support.
The goal isn't to overwhelm employees with messages.
It's to make the important information difficult to miss.
6. Make Information Easy to Scan
Employees shouldn't need 20 minutes to understand what an Open Enrollment email is asking them to do.
Use:
Clear headings
Short paragraphs
Bullet points
Important dates in prominent positions
Simple comparison information
One obvious next step
Consider putting the most important information at the top:
WHAT: Open Enrollment
WHEN: [Enrollment dates]
ACTION: [What the employee needs to do]
DEADLINE: [Date]
QUESTIONS: [Who to contact]
Then provide additional details below.
7. Use More Than One Communication Format
Employees absorb information differently.
Some may be comfortable reviewing benefits documents independently.
Others may understand their choices better after a presentation, webinar, Q&A session, comparison chart, or conversation with a benefits professional.
The Department of Labor's historical Advisory Council work on health and welfare benefit communications identified accessibility, understandability, timeliness and an appropriate mix of communication media among the important considerations for effective benefits communication. It also documented employers using multiple communication channels alongside required disclosures.
A combination of formats can therefore make your communication more accessible to a varied workforce.
8. Make It Clear Where Employees Can Get Help
One of the most useful sentences in any Open Enrollment communication may simply be:
“If you have questions, here's who to contact.”
Don't make employees search through documents to figure out where they can get assistance.
Provide a clear point of contact for questions about:
Plan options
Enrollment procedures
Benefits terminology
Required documents
Deadlines
When appropriate, this is also where your benefits advisor can support the employer and its employees.
9. Remember Your Multilingual Workforce
For California employers especially, language accessibility may be an important part of effective benefits communication.
If a significant portion of your workforce is more comfortable communicating in another language, consider what resources are available to help them understand their benefits.
The Department of Labor currently makes Summary of Benefits and Coverage and Uniform Glossary materials available in Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and Navajo, in addition to English.
At EPIA, multilingual support is also an important part of how we work with California businesses and their employees.
Clear communication should reach the people the benefits are intended to support.
10. Finish Every Communication With a Clear Next Step
After reading your message, employees should know exactly what happens next.
For example:
Review your plan options.
Attend the benefits meeting on [date].
Submit your elections by [date].
Contact HR or your benefits team with questions.
Don't make employees figure out the call to action themselves.
A Simple Open Enrollment Communication Checklist
Before sending your next employee communication, ask:
Is the purpose immediately clear?
Are the important dates easy to find?
Have we clearly explained what's changing?
Are we using language employees can understand?
Have we provided access to the appropriate plan documents?
Are employees receiving information through appropriate communication channels?
Do employees know where to ask questions?
Have we considered language needs within our workforce?
Is there one clear next action?
Have we planned reminders before the deadline?
If the answer is yes across the board, you're already making Open Enrollment easier for your team.
Good Benefits Communication Is Part of Good Benefits Strategy
Open Enrollment communication isn't just an administrative task.
It affects how employees experience the benefits you've invested in providing.
A strong benefits package has greater value when employees understand what they have, what's changing, what choices they need to make, and where they can find help.
That's why communication should be part of your Open Enrollment planning from the beginning—not something added at the end.
How EPIA Helps Employers Prepare
At EPIA Insurance Agency Inc., we work with California employers throughout the employee benefits process.
Our team can help businesses:
Review existing employee benefits
Compare available coverage options
Prepare for Open Enrollment
Understand plan changes
Support benefits communication and enrollment
Provide multilingual enrollment support
Answer benefits questions throughout the process
Every workforce is different.
Your Open Enrollment strategy—and the way you communicate it—should reflect the needs of your employees.
Need Help Preparing for Open Enrollment?
If you're reviewing your employee benefits or preparing your Open Enrollment communication strategy, you don't have to manage the process alone.
Contact the EPIA team directly for guidance based on your business and workforce.
📞 +1 (626) 912-1988 📧 info@epiagroup.com 🌐 www.epiagroup.com
Continue Learning
Part of the EPIA Open Enrollment Series:
References & Sources
The regulatory and employee-benefit information in this article was reviewed against current U.S. Department of Labor and CMS resources.
— SPD and SBC requirements and their role in communicating plan information.
— employer/plan administrator responsibilities for furnishing understandable plan information.
— current SBC materials and translated resources.
— disclosure requirements and electronic-delivery considerations.
— guidance concerning employer notices and communication responsibilities.
Last reviewed: September 1, 2026
Editorial Note
This article is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting, or benefits-compliance advice. Employer obligations can vary based on plan structure, workforce, applicable law, and individual circumstances. Required notices and plan documents should not be replaced by informal employee communications.
For guidance regarding your organization's employee benefits and Open Enrollment preparation, contact EPIA Insurance Agency Inc. directly.
Comments