OCTOBER 2021HR TECH OUTLOOK93. Create a timeline and involve internal stakeholders: A successful OE consists of a lot of moving parts. Many of those parts are managed outside of the HR department, e.g., payroll (deduction files) and finance (carrier bills). Engage these stakeholders early in your planning process and timeline development. Remember, they may have their own projects underway at the same time as OE. Failure to involve internal stakeholders can lead to file errors that result in incorrect paychecks, miscalculated payments, and more. Once your timeline is developed with stakeholder input, share it so that everyone's on the same page. 4. Expect challenges and maintain perspective: Problems could surface even during the best-planned open enrollment. Whatever the challenge, keep things in perspective. OE is about providing your employees access to healthcare and other benefits when they need it. Unless the issue affects the ability for employees to get coverage or financially impacts billing and payroll deductions, it is not an emergency. Most problems can be rectified relatively quickly, but a calm reaction on your part will go a long way towards making that happen. The fourth quarter is the most popular time for open enrollment, so everyone in the enrollment ecosystem (e.g., employers, tech providers, carriers, benefit advisors) has a lot on their plate, and resources are stretched thin. Be patient.5. Give employee communications some extra thought: Consider all available channels to communicate with employees about their benefits and use them--especially if you are unable to hold in-person meetings. New plans or significant program changes may require some extra communications. Also, employees may have heightened interest in plan options due to COVID, i.e., level of coverage should they test positive. Highlight this information within the broader messaging or develop a Q&A specific to COVID-related coverage. Your tech provider or benefits advisor may be able to help. Develop and share your communications plan with your tech provider to avoid customer support problems. For example, don't send an email to all employees with the tech provider's phone number encouraging them to "call today," but fail to give the provider a heads up. Tech providers don't have unlimited capacity, but they will do their best to support your communications plan if you give them advance notice.Adhering to these five tips will go a long way to reducing the likelihood of problems with open enrollment and the associated headaches. OE is a stressful time for HR (and for other stakeholders). There's a lot going on, so everyone's working a little harder. This year may be especially stressful, so don't forget to acknowledge your success and enjoy your reward when it's over. About the AuthorRhonda Marcucci, together with Ed Barry, co-leads Gallagher's HR and Benefits Technology Consulting Practice. Their team provides unbiased, well-researched HR technology and benefits administration consulting, including sourcing advice and service provider capability audits. Rhonda's extensive and broad-based experience in finance, accounting, administration, strategic planning, information systems, sales and marketing, and operations is instrumental in helping employers identify a comprehensive strategy and execute against it.Consulting and insurance brokerage services to be provided by Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. and/or its affiliate Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc. Gallagher Benefit Services, Inc. is a licensed insurance agency that does business in California as "Gallagher Benefit Services of California Insurance Services" and in Massachusetts as "Gallagher Benefit Insurance Services." Neither Arthur J. Gallagher &Co., nor its affiliates provide accounting, legal or tax advice. A successful open enrollment consists of a lot of moving parts
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