Studies have shown that employees truly appreciate having group health and dental benefits. In fact group benefits are becoming much more expected. Employees are also looking for more flexibility in their benefits plans.

Almost anything can be purchased online so why not your group benefits plan? By buying your group benefits online you can offer a much more flexible system with better communication. For one thing, you can avoid having to have face-to-face employee meetings – which can be hard to coordinate and take large chunks of time out of the work day. Instead, you can let your employees look over the information and FAQs online when they have downtime and then ask questions directly of the plan experts though email, phone, text or online chat programs. This makes it more likely that your employees will understand the benefits you are offering and be able to make informed decisions. Online systems are also particularly useful if you have employees in multiple locations or on multiple shifts.

Another positive of using an online system to set up employee benefits is that you can pause the setup up and registration process at any time and resume – this proves highly convenient in the case of unexpected workplace emergencies that always seem to pop up, or, if you’d like to take a break and clarify something with your benefits advisor before continuing. This flexibility allows you to work on a timeline that makes sense to you.

Another thing which saves money, and the environment, is that you can eliminate paper materials by switching to an online solution. Instead of a paper benefit handbook, you can provide a PDF that employees can read on their computer or phone. There is less expense and causes less waste when information needs to be updated. Also, your employees cannot lose their employee benefit handbook when it can be downloaded from a website, reducing waste and frustration (as it is not always easily possible to provide them with a replacement).

Your relationship with your broker will also improve and become more versatile. Choose a mix of online and face-to-face training on an as-needed basis. Brokers and advisors offer online manuals and sometimes video tutorials to help you and your staff understand your benefits, how they are administered, and how to make the best use of them..

Flexibility in plans is becoming even more important as Gen Y (millennials) enter the workplace with different needs than those from earlier generations. Online benefit platforms allow employees to enrol in their plans online in a way that is familiar to them.

The greatest advantage of buying group benefits online, though, is the ability to set everything up quickly, easily, and at a time that is convenient to you. It makes it easier than ever to collaborate on documents, send information, and coordinate with your advisor to give both your company and your employees the best benefits experience possible. If you’d like more information on Honeybee – Benecaid’s new online benefits platform contact your advisor or a Benecaid representative today.