5 Ways to Promote Open Enrollment to Improve Employee Engagement

Human resources (HR) departments work hard to choose and prepare yearly employee insurance plans. Because health plans may not be the first thing on employees’ minds, making the open enrollment process fun can raise awareness about available options and help employees select their plans in time. Fun campaigns with unique themes can engage employees in open enrollment and move health plan options to the front of their minds. To help you enliven your open enrollment season, we created a list of fun open enrollment campaign ideas.

Ways to Kick Off Open Enrollment Season

Open enrollment season is the time of the year when employees can enroll in employer-sponsored health care plans or adjust their health care plans and benefits. Engaging employees during open enrollment season can help them get excited about their health benefits and actively consider their options. You can make the open enrollment period enjoyable and engage employees with the following fun open enrollment ideas:

1. Health and Wellness

Motivating employees to take care of their health and wellness is a fantastic way to engage them in the open enrollment season. Some health plans offer benefits and perks for practicing healthy habits. If your company offers plans with additional benefits for living a healthy lifestyle, provide this information for your employees in a fun way. Help your employees develop healthy habits and provide ways for them to practice being healthy in the workplace. Host a catered event with healthy lunch options to show your appreciation for them. You can also schedule fun exercise breaks such as group walks or yoga sessions that promote physical activity and use these opportunities to inform them about their available health plan options. You can also have your team participate in the following promotional giveaways:

• Water bottles
• Stress balls
• Stress-relieving coloring books
• Shirts for working out

Remind employees how maintaining their health can help save on health care costs with these activities.

2. Travel and Vacation

Everyone looks forward to vacation as a time of rest and rejuvenation, and traveling the world is an exciting topic for many people. Vacation and travel require planning just like health insurance plans do. You can help your employees choose the best health plans for them the same way they’d choose the best travel destinations or vacation spots. Think of a fun vacation theme for each health plan you offer, and present the options to employees as different vacation spots. An adventuresome camping trip could represent a basic plan and an exciting European backpacking exploration could represent an advanced plan. Thinking of each option as a different destination can make the selection process fun for employees because it gives them a unique way to categorize different plans. Present each plan as a package the same way a travel agent might present vacation packages. List the perks and ways each plan can benefit employees, and encourage them to choose the best package to meet their needs. You can also give out the following fun promotional travel accessories and vacation-themed products:

• Luggage tags
• Business card cases
• Carabiners
• Tote bags
• Lunch and cooler bags
• Backpacks

3. Movies or TV Shows

Open enrollment can also be more fun with a popular TV show or movie theme. Present each health plan as a different character from a beloved TV show, or give each plan a movie title. If your employees enjoy watching “The Office,” you can present each available insurance plan as a character, such as Dwight’s Basic Plan or Michael Scott’s Premier Health Plan, and write a fun description of each plan in a manner based on the characters’ quirky personalities. If you choose a movie theme, you can offer fun lunch breaks where employees can watch different movies and learn about their health plan options. To make it extra enjoyable, hand out promotional candy or food gift sets.

4. Popular Games

Transform your health plan presentations into challenging games or puzzles for employees to solve. Arrange health plan benefits and details into questions for a Jeopardy game or invite everyone for a game of Family Feud. You can also create a scavenger hunt by placing different clues with health plan benefits throughout the office, leading employees to health plan paperwork and prizes. Prize ideas can include the following promotional materials:

• Brain-teaser wooden block puzzles
• Rubik’s cubes
• Stress-relieving fidget spinners
• Domino sets
• Word dice games
• Business card magnetic puzzles
• Pocket sudoku games

5. Sports

If there are several sports fans in your office, you can give your open enrollment period a sports theme and invite each employee to wear their favorite team’s jerseys to the office for a day. You can also provide fun game day snacks while you present health plan details and hand out promotional materials, such as the following:

• Stress balls
• Hats, caps and visors
• Activewear T-shirts

Tips and Strategies to Promote Open Enrollment to Employees

Open enrollment is a time for employees to prioritize their health and make important decisions about their insurance coverage. To simplify this process and make it enjoyable for your employees, you can implement the following strategies.

1. Communicate Early and Often

Make sure your employees are informed about their options. Provide information early and remind employees about health plans and deadlines frequently. The sooner employees know what their options are, the more time they have to make a choice.

2. Educate Employees About Their Options

Educating employees about health plans can help them choose the best possible options. Health plans can be complex, so breaking down the details in ways that are easy to understand can simplify the selection process. Take time to explain each health plan’s benefits, details and prices so each employee can choose the plan that best meets their needs.

3. Give Away Prizes Upon Completion

Incentivize the health plan selection process to motivate employees during open enrollment. Offering prizes can help employees enjoy the selection process and choose a plan on time. Prizes can include promotional items such as drawstring bags, water bottles, fun games, hats, chargers and power banks, stress balls, kitchen products and apparel.

Shop ePromos for Promotional Products

Open enrollment themes and promotional materials can motivate your employees to prioritize their health coverage, carefully consider their options and choose the best possible plan on time. ePromos offers directly-sourced promotional products made of quality materials. Our selection includes a wide variety of apparel, outdoor items, office supplies and so much more. Shop ePromos for quality promotional products to give your employees a fun and engaging open enrollment season.