Selecting the right health benefits is complicated for even the most educated consumer. It can be overwhelming to sift through benefits options during open enrollment and when receiving health services. If you’re not aware of how your health benefits impact your employees’ morale and productivity, you may be making a big mistake.
In fact, eight out of 10 employees said they faced challenges when receiving care, according to Quantum Health’s study. These challenges were worsened by the complexity of their healthcare benefits.
If you haven’t considered how confusion toward health benefits can take a toll on employees in the workplace, keep reading. You’ll be surprised to learn what you can take away as an employer.
Unexpected findings on complex health benefits
The Quantum Health study tracked how employee morale and productivity were impacted by complex health benefits. The results were unexpected.
The study concluded that a vast majority of consumers reported facing hurdles in the past two years when receiving care, including understanding coverage levels, locating providers and navigating the insurance claims process. This was compounded for individuals with chronic conditions — 90% of whom said they faced additional challenges, such as making sense of diagnoses or test results.
6 Additional results you’ll want to know
Of the majority who experienced healthcare challenges, 57% said they suffered negative impacts. This included 19% of consumers revealing they experienced declined mental well-being and 17% reporting they experienced declined physical well-being.
Overall, 60% of all respondents stated they spent work time dealing with healthcare challenges, averaging 30 minutes per issue. Fewer than half (45%) of respondents said it’s easy to use their health benefits. Only 35% of respondents declared it’s easy to navigate the healthcare system.
How to increase employee morale and productivity: 3 employer takeaways
You know the number of hours you spent tailoring your employee health benefits to meet your organizational needs. Now ensure you take the time to clarify those benefits to your employees, increasing satisfaction and improving workplace productivity and morale in the process.
Here are three steps you can take to help employees understand and effectively use their benefits:
- Prioritize employee benefits education. One of the best ways to help reduce employee confusion and maximize benefits value is through education. Start by thinking of ways you can integrate educational sessions or resources into your workplace.
- Reduce employee confusion. Combat misunderstandings by opening up a dialogue around employee benefits. Taking the time to sit down with an employee to further clarify their options could help them select the best plan to meet their needs. A good way to do this is to host a coffee hour or one-on-one educational sessions.
- Promote health literacy. You can promote health literacy using multichannel resources. These communications might include internal emails, comprehensive benefits guides, digestible videos, informative posters or group presentations.
If you aren’t currently using these metrics or would like to improve them, view this article to learn how to measure employee productivity.
Boost employee satisfaction with HANYS Benefit Services
The education component of employee benefits is a huge factor in increasing employee morale and productivity. If you’re looking to offer more complex health benefits programs or enhance what you already provide, HANYS Benefit Services can help you navigate the journey.
Contact us today or call 800.388.1963 to start taking steps to increase employee well-being, productivity and morale. Let our team of experts help you get the best resources through our client-focused, comprehensive benefit services.
This Benefits Insights is not intended to be exhaustive nor should any discussion or opinions be construed as professional advice. © 2023 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.