Employees
Understand the plan, changes and where to get help.
Employee Education
A plan works better when people understand it.
Employees can have a plan in place and still be unclear on how it works, what changed or where to go with questions. PLA helps make that information easier to understand through education, onboarding, updates and Q&A tailored to the audience and engagement.
Education is one way the advisory relationship stays useful after implementation.
Implementation is not the finish line.
A plan can be technically in place and still leave employees uncertain about what it means for them.
Education helps turn plan information into something employees can understand and use.
Administrators
Have a clearer path for recurring questions and onboarding.
Sponsors
Reinforce the purpose of the program after implementation.
EDUCATION FORMATS
The format should follow the need.
Education is not a fixed package. The appropriate format depends on the organization, audience, topic and engagement.
In-person sessions
Live team education where appropriate.
Webinars
Remote explanation and updates.
New-hire onboarding
Introduce the program when included in the engagement.
Plan and renewal updates
Explain what changed and what employees need to know.
Live Q&A
Address recurring or timely questions.
Recorded sessions
Reusable education where appropriate and approved.
One-on-one support
Individual support where included and appropriate to the engagement.
Not every format is included in every engagement.
WHEN EDUCATION HELPS
Education is most useful when something needs to be understood.
IMPLEMENTATION
Introduce the program and the decisions employees need to understand.
NEW HIRES
Support onboarding when included in the engagement.
PLAN CHANGE OR RENEWAL
Explain changes, reminders and next steps.
RECURRING QUESTIONS
Use education or Q&A when the same questions begin to surface.
ONGOING
Return to education when the organization, plan or employee needs create a reason to do so.
EDUCATION TOPICS
The topic should follow the need.
Some education focuses directly on benefits or retirement programs. Other sessions may address broader financial questions relevant to employees or business owners, depending on the audience, engagement and available expertise.
Core plan education
How the plan works
Coverage structure, access points and where employees go for help.
What changed
Renewal or implementation changes employees need to understand.
Health Spending Account / Cost-Plus
Plain-language explanation where these structures are relevant and appropriately qualified.
Group retirement
Enrollment, matching, sponsor-program basics and questions about how the plan works.
Questions and administration
Recurring employee questions, common actions and where support should be directed.
Broader financial education where relevant
Depending on the audience, engagement and available expertise, topics may also include:
- Preparing for retirement
- Market volatility
- Investing topics relevant to different employee audiences
- CPP considerations
- Other financial topics identified by the organization
These examples do not imply that every topic or format is included in every engagement.
EDUCATION-SESSION PROCESS
A useful education session starts with the question employees need answered.
A useful education session starts with the question employees need answered.
Define the audience
Who needs the session, and what do they need to understand?
Set the objective
Clarify the plan change, onboarding need, recurring question or education goal.
Choose the format
Select an appropriate approach for the audience and engagement.
Prepare and deliver
Use clear, accurate information and relevant plan context where appropriate, with room for questions.
Bring questions back into support
Use recurring questions to identify where more explanation or plan support may be useful.
Post-implementation involvement
Support should not disappear after implementation.
Education is one practical example of an ongoing advisory relationship.
See How We Work
Education after implementation
Employees continue to receive explanation when appropriate.
Plan updates and onboarding
New employees and plan changes can create new education needs.
Questions feed back into support
Recurring questions can help identify where clearer communication or additional support may be useful.
Where employee education connects
Quietly connected to the broader advisory relationship.
Group Employee Benefits
Help employees understand plan structure, changes, access points and recurring questions.
Explore Group Employee BenefitsGroup Retirement Savings
Support enrollment, program understanding and employee questions.
Explore Group Retirement SavingsHow We Work
See how education fits into PLA's broader model of staying involved after implementation.
See How We WorkCommon questions
Common questions about employee education.
What should an employee benefits education session cover?
The topic should reflect what employees need to understand. That may include how the plan works, recent changes, onboarding, Health Spending Accounts, retirement programs, recurring questions or other relevant topics agreed for the engagement.
When should employees receive plan education?
Useful moments may include implementation, new-hire onboarding, plan or renewal changes, or when recurring questions show that additional explanation would help. There is no single schedule that applies to every organization.
Can PLA help with new-hire benefits onboarding?
New-hire onboarding can be part of the education approach depending on the organization and engagement.
Are webinars, recorded sessions or one-on-one support always included?
No. Available formats depend on the engagement, audience, topic and circumstances.
Can education guarantee participation or reduce HR and payroll questions?
No. Education can provide clearer explanation and a place for questions, but it cannot guarantee attendance, participation, plan usage, employee retention or a specific reduction in administrative questions.
The goal is not simply to deliver a session. It is to help employees understand the program, know where to go with questions and make ongoing support easier to use.
Team education
Start with what your team needs to understand.
Tell PLA who the session is for and what they need to understand. PLA will follow up to discuss the objective and an appropriate format.
01Send your request
02PLA follows up by email
03Discuss the audience and objective
04Determine an appropriate format and next step
Existing client? Contact PLA directly or use your regular review process.
Explore Group Employee Benefits