Andrew Brickman

Relying solely on software platforms to choose health plans and enroll employees without expert interaction can cost time and money, and can even lead to compliance issues.

More employers are embracing the idea that a financially aware and secure employee is a happier, healthier and more productive individual.

Employers and advisers who still hew to a paper-based processing system incur costly errors, wasted staff time and poor healthcare decisions.

It is not unheard of for violations to cost a company millions of dollars plus attorney’s fees, one expert cautions.

Commentary: Since the Family and Medical Leave Act was signed into law in 1993, employee benefits administration and time-off tracking have never been the same.

How do you take stock of the hundreds of vendors of benefits administration, all there to help with enrollment and ongoing benefits management? A readiness self-assessment may help avoid some unnecessary steps.

Commentary: Consider that employers nationwide spend billions of dollars to give their employees access to medical care and other important insurance coverage. While most businesses offer health and welfare benefits to remain competitive for talent, they end up creating a valuable by-product in the process.

Benefits administration technology will never replace human interactions, such as the one-on-one new hire orientation, or open enrollment meetings, but the right kind of platform can be an effective tool to reinforce benefits messaging, help employees make smarter decisions, and communicate the overall value of your benefit programs.