Every fall, HR and Benefits teams gear up for open enrollment with presentations, portals, and plan comparisons. They’re prepared to answer questions about deductibles, co-pays, and coverage tiers. But behind the standard benefits questions, employees are often grappling with deeper concerns:
Can I actually afford this? What happens if something unexpected happens? Am I making the right choice for my family?
Many studies confirm that a majority of employees are experiencing financial stress, and that it’s impacting their focus and performance at work. So it’s fair to assume your people have unspoken questions rooted not just in benefits confusion, but in financial insecurity.
Open enrollment isn’t just about plans and premiums. It’s about helping people manage uncertainty while making high-stakes decisions about their financial future.
What Open Enrollment Questions Reveal About Employee Financial Stress
Most open enrollment materials are designed to explain what benefits are available and help employees compare options. But they rarely address how to make the right choices when money is already tight.
67% of employees are living paycheck to paycheck, even before premiums go up.
In that context, answering the “how” isn’t just helpful. It’s essential for building trust, morale, and long-term financial well-being at work.
The Questions Behind the Questions of Open Enrollment
Employees might ask about plans, costs, and coverage, but what they’re really wrestling with is far more complex and personal. Beneath every question is a deeper worry about financial security, unexpected expenses, and how these choices affect their lives and families.
When we look closer, we can better understand the true challenges employees face and why open enrollment can feel less like a benefit and more like a burden.
Here are just a few examples:
Example 1
What employees ask: “Which health plan should I choose?”
What they’re really wondering:
- Can I afford to get sick?
- Maybe I can save money if I just avoid getting sick?
- But what if my wife gets sick and the plan I pick to save money now doesn’t cover our needs later?
Example 2
What employees ask: “What if I can’t afford my deductible?”
What they’re really wondering:
- I’m already living paycheck to paycheck. How am I supposed to afford higher premiums?
- Why do I have to choose between coverage I can’t afford to use and no coverage at all?
- What if an emergency wipes out my savings completely?
Example 3
What employees ask: “Do I have to enroll in dental or vision plans?”
What they’re really wondering:
- I need every dollar in my paycheck. Are these benefits optional to help me save money?
- How do I prioritize when I know I can’t afford everything?
- What’s the minimum coverage I can get away with?
Recognizing these unspoken worries is the first step for HR leaders who want to move beyond traditional benefits education and truly support their workforce’s financial well-being.
You might also like to read, “Bridging the Healthcare Gap: The Impact of Employee Relief Funds During Medical Emergencies” >
How Financial Stress Shapes Employee Benefits Decisions
Financial stress doesn’t just affect employees’ daily lives. It shapes how they engage with their benefits. When money is tight, employees often delay care, skip doctor visits, or avoid enrolling in benefits like disability or life insurance. This isn’t because they don’t value them, but because the immediate cost feels out of reach.
This behavior isn’t about apathy. It’s about survival. Employees are often juggling rent, groceries, childcare, and other essentials. As a result, they may choose lower-cost plans with higher deductibles and hope for the best, or opt out of coverage they may need later.
For more on the challenges employees are facing year round, download a copy of Canary’s Annual Report, “Strengthening the Safety Net” >
For employers, this isn’t just a personal issue. It’s a workplace challenge. When employees can’t fully leverage the benefits offered, it can lead to increased absenteeism, lower productivity, and higher long-term costs. Understanding this dynamic is critical for HR and Benefits leaders who want to design programs that truly support their people.
How HR and Benefits Leaders Can Support Employees Beyond Benefits Education
Understanding that financial stress drives benefits decisions is only the beginning. HR leaders have an opportunity, and a responsibility, to help employees navigate these challenges with empathy and actionable support.
1. Normalize Financial Well-Being Conversations
Create an open environment where financial stress is acknowledged rather than stigmatized. Let employees know it’s okay to ask for help and that they’re not alone.
2. Promote and Expand Financial Support Programs
Highlight resources like EAPs, financial counseling, or payroll-linked savings tools. Consider adding programs that offer direct relief during crises so employees don’t have to choose between emergency expenses and using their benefits.
3. Train Managers and Benefits Teams
Equip your frontline teams to recognize signs of financial distress and respond with care. A supportive conversation can make all the difference in whether an employee seeks help or stays silent.
By taking these steps, HR and Benefits leaders can turn open enrollment from a stressful checklist into a moment of real support—one that shows employees their well-being truly matters.
Emergency Relief Funds: A Critical Safety Net for Worker Financial Stability
Traditional benefits often fall short when employees face unexpected emergencies such as a car repair, family crisis, or uncovered medical bill. This is where emergency relief funds can make all the difference.These employer-sponsored funds offer immediate, tax-free financial assistance to employees in crisis. They help people manage short-term setbacks without sacrificing long-term financial well-being.
When employees know this kind of support exists, it changes how they approach benefits. It reduces fear, builds trust, and helps them feel more confident when making decisions during open enrollment. By partnering with a third-party relief fund, employers can:
- Show tangible care for employees’ financial well-being
- Prevent small emergencies from becoming career-derailing disasters
- Encourage employees to use the benefits they need, knowing they have a safety net for the unexpected
Emergency relief funds don’t replace traditional benefits. They fill a crucial gap that those benefits were never designed to cover.
What Open Enrollment Tells Us — If We’re Paying Attention
In today’s environment, addressing employee financial stability isn’t just compassionate leadership. It’s smart business. Relief funds complement traditional benefits and financial wellness tools by helping employees make decisions with confidence rather than fear.
The questions employees ask during open enrollment — and the ones they don’t — are telling. They reveal vulnerabilities in your workforce that plan guides and comparison charts alone can’t address. This is a chance to move beyond information and into meaningful support. Employees are already telling us what they need.
The real question is: Are we ready to listen?
Are you curious how Grant Circle, Canary’s employee relief fund can help build your organization’s empathetic, equitable culture? Let’s chat. You can reach out and book a meeting with our team today.
Not ready to book a call? Watch our quick, on-demand overview of Grant Circle to see if it’s the right fit for your organization.
