Dive Brief:

• Voluntary benefits, such as disability, life and dental coverage, have increased in popularity as health care costs have risen and employers seek out ways to provide employee benefits without breaking the bank. 
• Voluntary benefits can be a very smart and effective way to supplement core health coverage and enable employees to customize the insurance they buy for their particular situation.
• If done poorly, though, introducing voluntary benefits can lead to frustrated employees who wind up with the wrong coverages to fit their needs. 

Dive Insight:

According to the Employee Benefits Network, a successful voluntary program can invigorate the culture and help to provide a feeling of security to workers. This makes it critically important for employers to provide as much guidance as possible to employees leading up to open enrollment. 

Adding more benefit choices is a change and change can be intimidating, writes Reed VanOrsdel, a benefits consultant. Insurance is complicated and employees can become overwhlemed by concerns about choosing the right coverage and having to live with the consequences of their selections.

VanOrsdel says employers can derail confusion by surveying their employees about voluntary products and educating them well before new options are rolled out. Employees who become part of the decision-making process are more likely to welcome the introduction of voluntary benefits as a chance to properly customize their coverage.