Thirty-five United Airlines employees were recently fired for abusing their family travelbenefits, but how can companies ensure employees are usingtheir benefits appropriately? Below are sixactions employers can take to improve employee benefitscommunication and prevent misuse.

1. Choose the right communicationchannel.

Employees are bombarded with emails, voicemails, texts, directmessages, and calendar reminders every day, so employers are facingthe challenge of cutting through the clutter. It's important thatbefore disseminating any employee benefits-related updates orreminders, HR teams identify which channels employees engage withmost. Some employees may prefer companywide emails, while othersmay respond better to a direct text or public announcement.Employers will likely have to tailor their message to a fewdifferent platforms to successfully reach all employees.

2. Repetition, repetition, repetition.

Employers need to make their message stick in order to increaseengagement and understanding, so a one-time overview duringon-boarding won't cut it. If employees have five weeks left to rollover their flexible spending account (FSA) dollars, send a reminderat least once a week. When possible, incorporate messaging intocurrent processes like weekly companywide meetings or monthlyinternal e-newsletters. It's in the best interests of the employerand the employee to be informed on the company's benefitsofferings, so don't worry about overcommunicating. Also, repeat themessage of how benefits should be used, again, to avoid any futureconfusion leading to misuse.

3. Simplify your message.

What's the difference between a PPO and an HMO? Or an FSA and anHSA? All the acronyms and benefits jargon can be confusing. Tosimplify the message, provide real-world examples of how employeescan use each benefit, and include visuals or graphs whenapplicable. It could be helpful to provide employees with a PDF orPowerPoint “benefits overview” document that they can print or keepon their desktop computer. When employees have access toeasy-to-digest benefits information, confusion or misuse is lesslikely.

4. Use benefits administration software.

Investing in benefits administration software is a smart movefor companies with more than 20 employees. The benefits aretwofold: This software automates the monitoring process, whichdecreases the chance of human error. It also provides HR teams withmore time to focus on non-administrative tasks like communicationand retention strategies. Having a visual dashboard also enablesemployers to monitor and analyze benefits usage in real time. Ifcost is a big factor, keep in mind that many vendors allow you pickand choose what you need in order to tailor your software suite toyour company's needs. Keep in mind that the value of catching anybenefits misuse can outweigh the up-front cost.

5. Tap managers for help.

HR should handle the actual tracking of benefits usage, butmanagers in finance and the business units should be educated onhow to identify and report signs of misuse or confusion. Dependingon the organization, managers have a better sense of the thoughtsof their direct reports and will likely pick up on things that HRmay miss by being farther removed from the employees'day-to-day.

6. Go straight to the source.

Asking employees directly whether they understand and utilizethe company's benefits offerings can be an effective method. Forlarger companies that can't conduct hundreds of face-to-facemeetings, try sending a short survey to take employees' pulse onusage and comprehension. The valuable feedback gathered can helpdecision-makers re-evaluate employee needs and identify trends ordiscrepancies.

Monitoring benefits usage should always be a priority foremployers. Once HR teams find the method that works best, establishbest practices and map out timelines to stay accountable. Whenemployers are organized and vigilant, they can work proactively toprevent misuse.

Bill Gimbel is the president of LaSalleBenefits, a technology-enabled corporate benefits firm. He hasbeen in the employee benefits and insurance space for over 25years, having worked with companies in virtually every industry, aswell as people in the C-suite, human resources, andfinance.

From: BenefitsPro