Each year, organizations of all sizes host their annual open enrollment — when employees can review new benefits, make decisions about needed health care and coverage, evaluate financial programs, and sign up for well-being resources. You may compare monthly premiums, evaluate a plan with a health savings account, or call your spouse to discuss expanded coverage for a growing family or enroll in new services. Eventually, you make your selections and move on with your day. 

Many may not realize the role their employer can play in supporting their health and well-being beyond open enrollment. The reality is that health and well-being needs don’t fit neatly into enrollment periods. They arise throughout the year, often unexpectedly, and many employers offer a wide array of resources designed to help. Helping employees understand what’s available and where to turn can be just as important as the resources themselves.

Making support easier to find

“Every employer has a responsibility to provide a safe work environment. Beyond that, I believe employers have a responsibility to make sure people know what support is available to them and can access it when they need it,” says Peter Church, chief people and culture officer at Point32Health, the parent company of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan.

Putting that responsibility into practice involves more than offering a single benefit or program. It means building a network of resources through employers, health plans, and other partners, then making those resources easier for employees to find and use. HR teams often help coordinate those efforts, from communicating about available programs throughout the year to helping employees navigate their options when questions or challenges arise. And because employees’ needs change over time, many organizations continue to add new programs and services throughout the year.

When you don’t know where to begin

Not every challenge comes with an obvious next step. While most people know who to call when they’re sick, other situations don’t always feel as straightforward. Caring for a sick child or aging parent, finding mental health resources, or improving eating habits to better manage a health condition can raise a different question: Where do I begin?

“You don’t need to know exactly what you need or where to start,” Church says. “Sometimes the most important thing is simply raising your hand and asking the question. One of our responsibilities is to help people figure out where to go before support is needed.”

Support for life’s challenges

Health and well-being needs can look different from one person to the next. One employee may be searching for mental health resources, while another is working toward personal wellness goals. 

Many employers offer resources that are designed to help employees through various life situations. That may include employee assistance programs for financial planning, mental health services, caregiver support, childcare access, or wellness initiatives. 

At Point32Health, for example, employees have access to a host of programs, from Wellthy, a caregiving support service that helps individuals navigate the challenges of caring for loved ones, to its Healthy Weight program, which offers support from a registered dietitian and digital tool to track progress for a healthier lifestyle. Both programs are also available to eligible Harvard Pilgrim Health Care members. 

“There isn’t one program or benefit that is going to meet everyone’s needs,” says Church. “People have different things going on in their lives. What matters is having different kinds of support available and making it as easy as possible for people to find what might help.”

As needs evolve and circumstances change, the goal is to ensure employees can find resources that meet them where they are. When employees feel their best, they are better equipped to thrive both at work and at home.

The first step is a conversation

“Colleagues shouldn’t have to be experts in their benefits to get help,” says Church. “If something is going on and you’re not sure where to start, ask. We can help point you in the right direction.”

Supporting employee health and well-being is a year-round commitment, not a once-a-year event. By creating seamless access to benefits, resources, and support throughout the year, employers can help employees address challenges in real time and access solutions tailored to their individual circumstances.

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, a Point32Health company, provides nationally ranked health plans and care-based programs and services to nearly 900,000 members in New England and beyond. Founded by doctors more than 50 years ago, it builds on that legacy and partnerships through an expansive network of doctors and hospitals nationwide to improve health outcomes and lower costs through clinical quality and innovative care management. A leading, nonprofit health and well-being company, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care guides members — and the communities it serves — to better health each day.