Open enrollment is an important time for employers and employees alike. With a new plan year approaching, now is a good opportunity to review benefit options, prepare employee communications, and make sure your payroll and benefits processes are ready for the year ahead.
A little preparation can help reduce last-minute questions, avoid unnecessary administrative work, and give employees more confidence in their benefit choices.
Review benefit plans and employee information
Work with your benefits broker to confirm plan options, premium changes, employer contributions, and coverage details for 2027. Review employee eligibility, dependent information, and other records to help ensure everything is accurate before enrollment begins.
Communicate early and clearly
Give employees time to understand their options before making decisions. Share enrollment dates, explain what's changing, outline employee costs, and let employees know where to go with questions. Clear communication can make the process easier for everyone.
For additional guidance, explore our articles on open enrollment questions employees may ask and open enrollment mistakes to avoid.
Connect benefits administration with payroll
Once employees make their elections, those changes need to be reflected accurately in payroll. When benefits administration and payroll are connected, benefit deductions can flow directly into payroll, reducing manual data entry and helping minimize errors. Reviewing the process before enrollment begins can help your team prepare for a smoother transition into the new plan year.
Open enrollment doesn't have to mean more spreadsheets, manual updates, and extra work for HR. Ahola's benefits administration, carrier connections, and ACA services can help simplify benefits management, streamline processes, and support your compliance efforts.
Ready to make benefits administration easier? Contact Ahola to learn more.