While it may seem like 2020 has lasted about a thousand years at this point, careful study of the calendar confirms it is, in fact, only October, meaning that on top of everything else, it’s open enrollment season again.

For human resources professionals, open enrollment season can mean spending an inordinate amount of time fielding thorny questions about employee healthcare that they likely don’t have the context or medical expertise to answer confidently.

For rank and file employees, it means trying to understand often complex benefits plans on top of the work they’re already doing, while also wondering if they are allowed to bring up questions about their health and treatment options to their HR co-workers – and whether they’re comfortable actually doing so.

And this year, it means doing much of this communication remotely, and for many, while helping kids with e-learning for good measure. Good times all around.

For Accolade members, though, the answer to all your team’s open enrollment concerns is easy:Ask Accolade

Our team of healthcare and benefits professionals is at the ready to help your employees understand their options and choose the plan that best fits their needs. Here’s how Accolade can make open enrollment easier for everyone in your organization

Maintaining privacy and confidentiality

A holistic approach to wellness could reduce the threat of stigma

HR professionals typically don’t have all the facts about a team member’s healthcare needs, and if they do, they run the risk of being too involved in a colleague’s most personal affairs. While it’s not appropriate for HR teams to ask too much about an employee’s healthcare needs and plans, those factors can count for a lot when determining what benefits plan is the best fit for that employee.

Accolade’s HIPPA-compliant frontline care team is able to answer the questions that HR professionals may not be not suited to field. Even more importantly, they’re able to get answers to important questions that employees might not even be willing to ask a co-worker. After all, sharing health information with an experienced and objective professional is a lot easier than talking it over with someone you might see at the next office happy hour.

Leveraging Accolade’s healthcare expertise

Benefits, and especially health insurance benefits, are a clear priority for employees across industries. A 2017 study from the found that 87% of employees surveyed ranked health benefits as “very important” or “extremely important” to them. But part of keeping employees happy with their benefits is helping ensure they’re enrolled in the option that best suits their needs.

Care advocates and other members of Accolade’s frontline care team have one mission – get your team the best healthcare experience available to them. These healthcare professionals have the facts about your team’s healthcare benefits and options easily at hand. What’s more, they spend every day of their work steeped in getting Accolade members the right care at the right time from the right provider. No one is more prepared to help your employees understand the healthcare option that’s right for them in the coming year.

Maintaining bandwidth for internal HR teams

Just because open enrollment questions start rolling in doesn’t mean that human resources departments get to put the rest of their workload on hold. From coordinating performance reviews to developing long-term strategies for employee retention, we know HR teams have plenty on their plate every day of the year.

Instead of trying to juggle a bevy of questions that may or may not be in their wheelhouse, HR teams can direct their team members to Ask Accolade and get advice from healthcare professionals for whom providing that guidance is job one. With Accolade’s Care Advocates on their side, your HR team can keep moving forward knowing their colleagues are in good hands.