How U.S. Employees Choose Voluntary Benefits
2026 Open Enrollment Report: High Stakes, Fast Decisions, and Too Little Clarity
Open enrollment isn't broken because employees don't care. It's broken because they don't have time to.
77% of employees worry about medical costs their benefits won't cover. 73% worry they couldn't pay their bills if they missed three months of work. Yet only 28% feel confident their current benefits would actually protect their family, yet:
- Nearly 8 in 10 spend an hour or less deciding — 15% do zero research
- 45% consult no one
- About 1 in 5 admit they just click through and enroll in whatever's in front of them
That's not an enrollment gap. It's an understanding gap — and it follows employees straight from selection to the moment they file a claim and discover what they actually bought. Confusion at enrollment becomes unmet expectations at claim time.
See what's driving the disconnect, and what employees say would actually help. Get the full report.