While most employees say they would rather sign up for their group benefits online, a recent study shows that employers are still pushing paper.

Industry research group LIMRA has conducted a survey of employers and found that only 38% think their employees want to use a computer to enroll for their group benefits, while more than 25% believe that their employees still want to enroll through paper forms. However, LIMRA points to another poll conducted in 2015 which revealed that 68% of employees want to enroll in their benefits plan online or electronically and only 16% want paper enrollment forms.

"Not everybody’s on the same page"

"With things like auto insurance, bank statements, and books being readily available through computers and smart phones, wouldn’t you think that employers wanted to do the same with those hefty stacks of enrollment papers? Unfortunately, not everybody’s on the same page", says LIMRA.

The survey also found that 1 in 4 employers automatically re-enroll their employees annually in at least some benefits, even though less than 10% of employees prefer this automated process.

To help clients gain a better understanding

"LIMRA’s research demonstrates that many employers are out of touch with the way their employees want to communicate and access information.  Advisors and carriers can use this research to help their clients gain a better understanding of their employees’ preferences," concludes LIMRA. "With more and more Millennials entering the workforce, it is likely this disconnect between employers’ paper-centric enrollment mentality and the modern technological approach of their employees will only grow."