Sun Life makes in-person benefits enrollment a virtual reality

Sun Life’s virtual enrollment capability provides employers and employees with the tools they need to understand and choose their benefits without in-person meetings. Through remote technologies, Sun Life benefits counselors engage directly with employees at the 1:1 or small group level, offering individualized guidance and support, open Q & A sessions, and even facilitating the complete enrollment process. So far demand for Sun Life’s fully digital enrollment services has increased significantly, with more than half (54 percent) of enrollment clients engaging in the virtual enrollment process this year.

“Enrollment season is already a challenging time for employees, as there are many benefit options to consider and a lot of decisions to make,” said David Healy, senior vice president of Group Benefits at Sun Life U.S. “We recently expanded our technology solutions to provide more customized options for digital benefits enrollment, and we are constantly innovating to continue to improve this support in the future.”

Sun Life also provides a customized landing page for the employer, giving employees a familiar, company-branded portal to navigate. The landing page offers live or recorded informational sessions with a benefits counselor, informational videos, the employer’s enrollment materials and a link to their enrollment page. Interest in the customized landing pages has increased dramatically during the pandemic, as employers seek engaging digital options to replace traditional on-site meetings. Approximately 98 percent of employees who register for their employer’s landing page utilize it for enrollment.

“We expect even more interest in virtual enrollment as we get closer to enrollment season in the fall,” added Healy. “The way people engage with their benefits is changing, and now more than ever it’s important for us to serve employers and employees where they are.”

For employers already using a dedicated benefits administration platform, Sun Life still provides benefits communication and enrollment support, and employees can reach a benefits counselor 24/7 via phone. Telephonic enrollment for Sun Life clients has increased 16 percent since the pandemic began. Enrollment support is also available through Sun Life’s own digital benefits administration platform, Sun Life + Maxwell Health.