How to Talk Employee Benefits Without Putting Everyone to Sleep 😴→💡

“Nobody read the email.”

That’s what a client told us—after their team missed open enrollment three years in a row.

Benefits only work if your people understand them.

So how do you talk about health plans, 401(k)s, and EAPs in a way that actually gets attention—and maybe even love?

Whether you're an HR lead or a founder wearing five hats, here’s how to communicate employee benefits without the corporate snoozefest.

💬 Keep It Simple & Human

“The goal isn’t to sound smart—it’s to be understood.”

• Ditch the jargon. Speak like a real person.
  ❌ “Your HSA-eligible HDHP has 80/20 coinsurance post-deductible.”
  ✅ “Once you meet your deductible, the plan covers 80%. You pay 20%.”

• Use bullet points, bold text, and emojis (sparingly!) to make info scannable.

• Can’t avoid acronyms? Add a quick glossary. (Looking at you, “FSA.”)

📍 Meet Employees Where They Are

• Email? Keep it short and focused. Highlight the one thing they need to do.

• Slack/Teams? Drop reminders with GIFs or memes.
  “Your 401(k) match = free money. Don’t skip it!” 💸

• In-person? Host a “Benefits Happy Hour” with snacks. Food = attention.

• Print? Leave one-pagers in the break room—or yes, even the bathroom. Desperate times.

“The best benefits in the world won’t help if they’re buried in a 20-page PDF.”

📸 Show, Don’t Just Tell

• Share real stories:
  “Jamie paid $0 for therapy thanks to our mental health benefit.”

• Use interactive tools:
  “See how much your 401(k) grows with our match—spoiler: it’s a future beach day.” 🏖️

• Tailor content to life stages:

  • New hires → “How to pick your health plan in 5 minutes.”

  • Parents → “Your parental leave, explained without fine print.”

⏰ Make Deadlines Impossible to Miss

• Send countdowns:
  “48 hours left to enroll—don’t let free money slip away!” ⏳

• Add calendar links (because no one remembers dates).

• Repeat the one thing they need to do:
  “Click here to enroll. Done in 2 minutes.”

📣 Ask for Feedback (and Actually Use It)

• After enrollment, send a fast poll:

  • What confused you?

  • What helped?

  • What’s still unclear?

• Offer a coffee gift card for responses. ☕ Bribery works.

📆 Keep the Conversation Going

Benefits aren’t just a once-a-year thing. Sprinkle in reminders like:

• “Your FSA cash disappears if you don’t use it. Treat yo’self!” 💸

• “Feeling stressed? Your EAP covers therapy—zero judgment.” 💙

• “New perk alert: We now cover pet insurance. Yes, Fluffy counts.” 🐶

“Benefits don’t work if no one knows how to use them.”

TL;DR

• Kill the jargon.

• Communicate where your people are.

• Show real-life examples.

• Repeat what matters.

• Make it a conversation—not a lecture.

Want help turning your benefits into something people actually understand and use?
At JAM Benefits, we create modern, human-friendly benefits education that works.
Let’s fix it → jambenefits.co 🚀

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