Providing your team with a robust benefits package will attract top talent, keep your employees happy and engaged, and ensure business sustainability. But managing these perks can be a huge undertaking that requires your time, money, and expertise. Fortunately, third-party benefits administration services can do the work for you.
More Time for Your Employees
Benefit administration services involve managing the employee benefits program, which includes insurance policies, wellness programs, perks like PTO, and retirement savings plans. These services help you create a competitive package to attract and retain talent while staying on budget and meeting goals.
The process starts with HR managers and executives deciding on the type of benefits program to offer employees. This involves calculating costs, considering telemedicine and other non-traditional ways to cut health insurance costs, determining benefits that appeal to employees (such as flexible scheduling), and creating programs that meet government regulations. Once a plan is in place, the benefits administrator oversees its implementation and educates employees about their options.
They also handle various compliance tasks, such as maintaining an appropriate healthcare plan, tracking time off, and interpreting anti-discrimination laws. The good news is that automated tools can streamline many of these processes, giving employees a more straightforward, accessible experience. That means more time for you to spend recruiting and retaining top talent.
Streamlined Processes
Streamlining processes involves analyzing the steps involved in each workflow and eliminating redundancy, error-prone actions, or inefficient methods that can slow down progress. This is often done through a series of iterative improvements. For example, a business may begin by automating its invoicing process, then use the savings generated to invest in updating its customer onboarding process.
One of the most critical aspects of streamlining a process is documenting it before making any changes. This ensures that employees who work with the workflow have a shared frame of reference and can provide feedback on improving things. Creating cross-functional teams with members from different departments, such as finance and marketing, is also helpful. This approach helps team members feel more connected to the project and more invested in its success.
As you document your existing processes, pay attention to the costs involved. This includes the cost of employee time, equipment, and technology. This will help you estimate the return on investment for projects that streamline workflows.
Reduced Risk
A robust benefits program is essential for attracting top talent and motivating current employees. However, managing that process requires attention to detail and a deep understanding of legal requirements. The slightest mistake or oversight can have costly consequences, from lost productivity to fines for not meeting workplace posting or insurance rules.
To mitigate risks, the best approach is to use a third-party administrator. These companies handle the logistics of implementing the benefit programs, coordinating with suppliers, and dealing with invoices. In addition, they have the expertise and resources to help you stay compliant. They also help you reduce costs through strategies like telemedicine, high-deductible plans, and health savings accounts.
Additionally, they can tap experts for ideas on stretching their budget and consult with tax advisors to identify ways to save on payroll taxes. This helps your business avoid fines and penalties for noncompliance, minimize risk and keep you competitive.
More Time for You
Benefits administration involves overseeing a company’s employee benefits programs. This typically includes health insurance, retirement accounts, and vacation/paid time off policies. Benefit administration partners can manage the day-to-day tasks associated with these perks, freeing HR managers and employees to focus on other aspects of employee management.
A good benefits administration partner should also be well-versed in government compliance regulations. Whether financial stipulations, medical authorization, or labor laws, these companies should ensure that all compliance requirements are met promptly and kept up to date. They can even guarantee to cover any fines levied due to a missed compliance mandate. Automated software features allow HR teams to store and organize all employee benefits records in a single database.
These platforms can then provide access to various reports in a real-time environment. They can also integrate with other internal systems and external software products like payroll systems, ERP solutions, business intelligence tools, and background-checking services to enhance productivity and accuracy in the workplace. These systems can also monitor and report on performance metrics such as cost efficiency, productivity, and employee satisfaction.
More Money
Managing benefits requires keeping many balls in the air:
- Communication lines must stay open.
- Compliance rules set by federal agencies like ACA and HIPPA must be followed.
- Benefits coverage options must be updated when workers experience a qualifying event.
A good benefits administrator is familiar with these regulations and works with insurance agents and outsourcing benefits providers to ensure the best systems are selected for large enterprises and smaller businesses.
More than just health and dental, modern employee benefits packages often include:
- Pet insurance.
- Student loan repayment subsidies.
- Commuting aids.
- Other perks that can be highly valuable to workers.
In a time of labor shortages, offering competitive benefits is more important than ever to attract and retain the right employees for your business. With the help of professional employer organizations (PEOs), your team can save money on HR management, payroll administration, and worker’s compensation costs. This leaves you with more resources to attract and retain your top talent—the result: better business for you and your workforce. To learn more on how this firms find the ideal benefits package for every case, click here: getbenepass.com/blog/benefits-
