Effective benefits education helps employees make informed choices during Open Enrollment, and according to Unum Vice President Bill Dalicandro, the key is a three-plus-three strategy. First, choosing a variety of communication methods, three being the recommended number, caters to various learning styles and enhances the benefits education process. Benefits education information can be in the form of:

• brochures,
• personalized statements,
• employer-sponsored websites,
• email,
• one-on-one meetings or
• interactive online tools.

Additionally, after the 2010 Open Enrollment period, 97 percent of employees who had three or more weeks to review their benefits education materials said it was enough time, according to research conducted by employee benefits provider Unum. Those who had at least three weeks were more likely to rate their benefits and their benefits education as excellent or very good.

Does your company offer the three-plus-three communication strategy?