The Frequency

I write benefits choices for the least confident reader first. One plain sentence on what the option does this year, then the tradeoff, then the formal name.

People with more knowledge can skip ahead. People with less stop flooding HR with basic questions. Different levels of benefits knowledge in one workforce is normal. The communications mistake is writing only for the experts.

Open enrollment is noisy. Plain language is the part HR can fix without inventing a new product.

The biggest thing that I run into isn’t language or reading level. It’s embarrassment. People will be at the group benefits meeting and they’ll just nod and sign up for whatever they did last year, or they’ll sit silently rather than raise a hand to admit they don’t know what coinsurance means. I’ve stopped doing group sessions. So I’ve started to do one-on-one appointments at the shift change so that they don’t have to miss their sleep. And in those, they get the real questions, not a benefits guide that’s just a reading assignment.

So if you translate a sentence that is convoluted and complex, it will only be convoluted and complex in two languages. So we broke it up into simple sentences, translated it after that, and we ask a bilingual team member to sit in.

The biggest barrier I run into is embarrassment. So I ask everyone to pull what they actually spent on care in the last year: therapy visits, urgent care visits, prescriptions, ER visits, and so on.

It’s a reading assignment, not a decision. Then we compare plans against their actual year, not a hypothetical one.

Open enrollment used to get treated as one blast email that assumed everyone already understood their options, which is a bad assumption on a team where people are at wildly different points in their careers and lives. What changed things for us was breaking the timing into stages instead of one deadline announcement. First message is just “here’s what’s coming and why it matters,” no decisions yet, just orientation. Second message a week later walks through the actual choices in plain language, we cut every bit of insurance jargon we could and replaced it with real scenarios like what happens if you need a specialist versus routine care.

The specific change that helped most was adding a short one-page comparison employees could hold onto instead of clicking through a portal mid-decision, something low pressure they could read on their own time. We also made sure someone was available for quick questions instead of pointing people at a call center line, since a two-minute conversation with someone they trust clears up more confusion than a paragraph of fine print ever will. Confidence went up noticeably once people felt like they had time to actually think instead of rushing a decision under deadline pressure.

Rick Elmore, Founder/CEO, Simply Noted (simplynoted.com)

Language access is more than translating benefits materials word for word. A literal translation can preserve the same jargon that confused employees in English. Stronger communication uses plain-language concepts, culturally familiar examples, and short explanations of terms that may not exist neatly across languages, including coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximums, and health savings accounts.

One practical improvement is creating brief audio or video explainers alongside written materials. I would make each one answer a single question, such as how to compare total annual cost or when a lower premium plan may become more expensive. Employees can replay a two-minute explanation privately, share it with family members, and absorb it at their own pace. That reduces the pressure of asking questions in a group setting.

I want people to feel comfortable asking questions but also simplify my message to help them better understand. Through my years in customer service, objection handling and compliance/operations I’ve noticed that people don’t always ask when they are confused. Some will just decide or not make a decision at all. So having information in a simpler format is beneficial when dealing with individuals who may not know as much about a topic. Wanting your employees to ask questions instead of being afraid to ask something they may think is simple.

Providing information that you can also speak to someone about. Maybe have some type of brief information that goes over what each option is and then allow them to speak to you or have someone that they can ask questions to. When working with employees I would gather these questions and use them for my next form of communication. They could become simple questions to answer at the top of the next communication.

We keep the benefits communication process employee-focused, concentrating on decisions to be made by workers rather than communicating all the policies upfront. We communicate summaries for each benefit that describe the coverage, the people for whom the benefit may work best, costs, and a practical example of when it could come in handy.

The change that made our communication clearer was the delivery of the benefit information in stages prior to opening enrollment. It was done one summary at a time, allowing time to ask questions until the next topic came up.

I treat open enrollment as a chance to teach, not just an HR announcement. I use plain language, explain terms like deductibles with everyday examples, and give people a simple side-by-side view of what each option could mean for their paycheck and care needs. I also make sure the information is available in the languages people use and through more than email, like short videos, printed guides, texts, and live Q&A sessions. The biggest improvement I’ve seen comes from starting early with short messages that answer one question at a time. People have time to talk it over at home, ask questions, and make a choice with a lot less pressure.

We believe channel choice is less about reach and more about earning employee permission. We recognize that every employee prefers a different way to receive important information comfortably. We encourage live conversations for open questions and honest discussion when people feel ready. We also provide private written updates for those who need quiet time before responding.

We found better engagement by pairing short audio explanations with clear written summaries consistently. We use audio to introduce unfamiliar ideas in a calm and approachable way first. We follow with written notes that support review comparison and personal record keeping later. We make important decisions easier to revisit in private with more confidence and clarity.

We design language access into every communication plan from the beginning. We do not treat it as a final step after materials are complete. Translation alone does not make benefit details clear for every employee. We use short sentences, familiar examples, visual comparisons, and a simple glossary. We also hold small group question sessions in each employee’s preferred language.

People feel more comfortable asking practical questions in a smaller setting without worrying about judgment or confusion. We explain family coverage, costs, and enrollment steps with clear everyday words before making a final decision. This approach helps everyone understand their options and choose with greater confidence and peace of mind during enrollment.