Employee benefits can represent a significant investment for an organisation. Workplace pensions, private medical insurance, health cash plans, life assurance, income protection, employee assistance programmes and wellbeing services can all play an important part in supporting employees.
However, simply providing these benefits does not mean employees will understand or use them.
Information is often spread across welcome emails, policy documents, provider websites and old announcements. Employees may remember that a benefit exists but not know what it covers, whether they are eligible or how to access it. Others may be completely unaware of valuable support available to them.
This creates a familiar challenge for HR teams and business owners: how do you make sure employees understand and appreciate the benefits you provide?
Why employee benefits are often underused
Employers usually communicate their benefits when an employee first joins the organisation or when a new benefit is introduced. At that point, the employee may receive several documents, emails and links at once.
The information may be clear and accurate, but it is not necessarily memorable.
An employee who does not need a particular benefit when it is introduced may pay little attention to it. Six months later, when that support becomes relevant, they may struggle to find the original information or may not remember that the benefit exists.
There are several common reasons why benefits go unnoticed or unused:
- Information is held in different places.
- Employees receive too much information when they join.
- Provider documents can be lengthy or difficult to understand.
- Employees do not know which benefits apply to them.
- Login details and contact information are easily misplaced.
- Benefits are communicated once but not regularly promoted.
- Employees working remotely or across different locations receive an inconsistent experience.
Even a valuable benefit can have limited impact if employees cannot quickly understand and access it.
What happens when employees cannot find their benefits?
Poor benefit awareness does more than reduce usage.
Employees may miss practical, financial or emotional support when they need it most. This could include access to counselling, virtual GP services, physiotherapy, bereavement support, financial wellbeing resources or help with everyday healthcare costs.
HR teams and managers may also spend time repeatedly answering the same questions:
- Who provides our private medical insurance?
- How do I make a claim?
- Where can I find the employee assistance programme number?
- What does the health cash plan cover?
- How much does the company contribute to my pension?
- Where can I update my expression of wish?
- Am I covered by the company’s life assurance policy?
Answering these questions is an important part of supporting employees. However, it becomes unnecessarily time-consuming when the relevant information already exists but is difficult to find.
A lack of awareness can also affect how employees perceive their overall reward package. An organisation may be investing thousands of pounds in employee benefits, yet employees may only associate their remuneration with their salary.
Why benefit communication matters
Effective employee benefit communication helps people understand three things:
- What benefits are available.
- Why those benefits could be valuable.
- How to access them when needed.
Communicating benefits is not simply about distributing policy documents. Employees need concise, accessible explanations supported by clear instructions.
For example, telling employees that they have access to an employee assistance programme may not be enough. They should also understand the types of support it offers, whether the service is confidential and how they can contact it.
Similarly, an employee may know that the company provides a health cash plan without realising that it could help with the cost of dental treatment, eye tests or physiotherapy.
Good communication turns a list of benefits into practical support that employees can use.
How can employers improve employee benefit engagement?
There is no single communication method that will work for every organisation. However, several practical steps can make benefits easier to understand and access.
1. Bring benefit information together
Employees should have one clear place where they can find information about all their benefits.
This removes the need to search through old emails, intranet pages or provider websites. It also helps new employees understand the complete benefits package rather than receiving disconnected pieces of information.
2. Use clear and concise explanations
Most employees do not need to read the full policy wording before deciding whether a benefit might help them.
A short explanation should describe what the benefit is, who it is for and how to use it. Full documents should still be available for employees who need more detailed information.
3. Communicate throughout the year
Employee benefits should not only be discussed during recruitment, induction or renewal.
Regular reminders can draw attention to benefits at relevant times. For example, employers might promote:
- Financial wellbeing support at the start of the year.
- Mental health resources during periods of increased pressure.
- Virtual GP and healthcare services during winter.
- Pension information ahead of annual contribution reviews.
- Support services before employees begin taking holidays.
Timely communication makes benefits more relevant and increases the likelihood that employees will act.
4. Make information accessible from different locations
Employees may work in an office, from home, at multiple sites or while travelling. Benefit information should therefore be easy to access from both computers and mobile devices.
This is particularly important when an employee needs help outside normal working hours.
5. Keep information up to date
Provider details, policy numbers, benefit levels and contact information can change.
Employers need a simple process for updating information so that employees are not relying on outdated documents or instructions.
6. Ask employees what they understand
Benefit engagement should not be based entirely on usage data. Some services are confidential, and employers may not receive detailed information about who has accessed them.
Short surveys, employee feedback and questions raised with HR can help identify where communication needs to improve.
Introducing Benefits Buddy
Benefits Buddy was created to make employee benefits easier to find, understand and use.
It brings an organisation’s benefits together in one online hub, accessible through a website and mobile app. Employees can see what is available to them, read clear explanations and find the information they need to access each benefit.
Employers can use Benefits Buddy to present benefits from different providers in one consistent format. Supporting documents, contact details and useful links can be stored alongside the relevant benefit, reducing the need for employees to search through emails or separate systems.
The platform can include information about benefits such as:
- Workplace pensions.
- Private medical insurance.
- Health cash plans.
- Group life assurance.
- Group income protection.
- Critical illness insurance.
- Employee assistance programmes.
- Financial wellbeing support.
- Salary sacrifice arrangements.
- Voluntary benefits and employee discounts.
Benefits Buddy can also help employers communicate with different groups of employees. Notifications and messages can highlight relevant benefits, remind employees about available support and provide updates when something changes.
This is especially useful for organisations with remote employees, multiple locations or a small HR team managing a wide range of responsibilities.
How Benefits Buddy supports HR teams and business owners
Benefits Buddy is not intended to replace the personal support provided by HR. It is designed to make that support more effective.
By giving employees a clear place to find answers, the platform can reduce repetitive administrative questions. HR teams can then spend more time supporting employees with situations that genuinely require personal guidance.
For business owners, Benefits Buddy helps make an existing investment in employee benefits more visible. Employees can see the broader package provided by the organisation and understand how it supports their health, financial security and wellbeing.
It can also provide a more consistent employee experience. Whether someone works at head office, from home or at another location, they can access the same information.
Frequently asked questions
What is an employee benefits platform?
An employee benefits platform is an online system that brings information about an organisation’s employee benefits into one accessible place. It can help employees understand what is available and explain how to access each benefit.
Why do employees not use their benefits?
Employees may not use benefits because they are unaware of them, do not understand what they provide or cannot find the relevant information when needed. Regular, clear communication can help address these barriers.
Can an employee benefits platform work with existing providers?
Yes. Benefits Buddy can bring together benefits provided by different insurers, pension providers and support organisations. An employer does not need to replace its existing benefits to use the platform.
Is Benefits Buddy suitable for employees at different locations?
Yes. Benefits Buddy can be accessed online and through a mobile app, making it suitable for office-based, remote and multi-site workforces.
Does Benefits Buddy replace employee benefits advice?
No. Benefits Buddy is a communication and engagement platform. It helps employees find and understand information, but it does not replace regulated financial advice or the specialist guidance provided by an employer’s advisers and benefit providers.
Make your employee benefits easier to use
The value of an employee benefit is not determined solely by its cost or the range of services it provides. Its real value is seen when an employee knows it exists, understands how it can help and can access it easily.
Benefits Buddy helps employers close the gap between providing benefits and helping employees benefit from them.
If you would like to see how Benefits Buddy could bring your employee benefits together and support your HR team, contact us to arrange a demonstration.