Employee Benefits Guide: What to Include

Decide what employees need to know before designing the guide. This six-section writing checklist covers plan summaries, paycheck costs, contacts, eligibility and enrollment instructions, followed by a review before sharing.

Why most employee benefit guides fail

Every year, HR departments and benefits brokers spend hours creating benefit guides for open enrollment. And every year, employees ignore them, bombarding HR with the same questions the guide was supposed to answer.

The problem? Most benefit guides are:

Too long - 50+ page PDFs that no one will read
Too generic - Boilerplate content that doesn't address real questions
Hard to navigate - No clear structure or way to find information
Outdated quickly - Static documents that can't be easily updated

The solution is creating guides that are scannable, actionable, and accessible. Here's exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Set Up Your Branding

A professional, branded guide builds trust and makes information feel official. Employees are more likely to engage with content that looks polished.

What to include:

Company logo (your client's)
Agency/broker logo (optional co-branding)
Brand colors that match the company's identity
Plan year dates prominently displayed

Step 2: Add Key Contacts

The #1 reason employees call HR during open enrollment? They don't know who to contact. Put this information front and center.

Essential contacts to include:

HR benefits contact (name, email, phone)
Benefits broker contact information
Carrier customer service numbers for each plan
Links to carrier member portals

Step 3: Create Your FAQ Section

A well-crafted FAQ section answers the routine questions before they reach HR. Focus on the questions employees actually ask, not what you think they should ask.

Top questions to answer:

When is open enrollment and what are the deadlines?
Who is eligible for benefits?
Can I add/remove dependents?
What happens if I miss the enrollment deadline?
When do coverage changes take effect?
How do I find in-network providers?
What's the difference between the plan options?

Step 4: Add Resources and Links

Don't make employees hunt for information. Provide direct links to everything they might need.

Resources to include:

Links to carrier member portals
Provider search tools for each network
Enrollment system login URL
Downloadable forms (if applicable)
Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) documents
Pharmacy formulary links

Step 5: Write Clear Enrollment Instructions

The enrollment process should be broken down into simple, numbered steps. Assume employees have never enrolled before.

Enrollment section should include:

Step-by-step enrollment instructions with screenshots
Information needed before starting (SSNs, dependent DOBs, etc.)
How to access the enrollment system
What to do if you have technical issues
Confirmation of successful enrollment

Step 6: Choose Your Display and Export Format

The best benefit guides are accessible in multiple formats. Different employees prefer different ways to consume information.

Format options to consider:

Interactive HTML - Best for online viewing, searchable, mobile-friendly
PDF - Good for printing and email attachments
PowerPoint - Perfect for benefits meetings and presentations

Pro Tip: Go Digital First

Interactive HTML guides are easier for employees to use than a PDF alone. Employees can search, click links, and access on any device. Save PDFs for those who specifically request printable versions.

Benefit Guide Checklist

Before publishing your guide, make sure you've included:

Company branding (logo, colors)
Plan year dates and enrollment deadlines
Contact information (HR, broker, carriers)
Plan comparison summary (start from the employee benefit comparison template)
Employee cost breakdown by tier
FAQ section (at least 10 questions)
Resource links and carrier portals
Step-by-step enrollment instructions

Create Benefit Guides from the Approved Case

Planlined's Benefit Guide Generator lets you create professional, branded guides with all these sections built-in. No design skills required.

Book a demo

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Information Overload

Don't include every detail about every plan. Focus on what employees need to make decisions and take action. Link to detailed documents for those who want more.

2. Jargon and Insurance-Speak

Write in plain English. Instead of "Summary Plan Description," say "Plan Details." Instead of "coinsurance," explain "the percentage you pay after meeting your deductible."

3. Missing Mobile Optimization

Many employees will open your guide on their phone. Make sure your format works on mobile devices.

4. No Clear Call to Action

Every page should make it clear what employees should do next. "Enroll by December 15" should be visible everywhere.

Common questions

Which sections should be included in an employee benefits guide template?

Six sections: a branded cover and introduction that says what the guide is for; key contacts for HR, the broker and each carrier; a FAQ answering the questions employees actually ask (what it costs per paycheck, who is covered, how to find a doctor); a resources section with plan summaries, SBCs and portal links; step-by-step enrollment instructions with the deadline; and a format the guide will be read in, usually a PDF plus a shareable link. Plan grids and cost tables sit inside the resources and enrollment sections.

What should be included in an employee benefits hub template?

A benefits hub is the same guide published as a web page or intranet section instead of a PDF, so it needs the same six sections: an introduction, key contacts, a FAQ with per-paycheck costs, resources such as plan summaries and SBCs, enrollment steps with the deadline, and the format employees will read it in. A web page also needs things a PDF does not: the plan year and a visible last-updated date, working links to the enrollment platform and each carrier's member portal, and a printable PDF copy for employees who prefer paper.

How long should an employee benefits guide be?

Choose the length based on the available plans and employee questions. Keep contacts, paycheck costs and enrollment instructions easy to find, and link to detailed source documents. This checklist does not prescribe a page count.

Can the guide be generated from the proposal data?

Yes. Planlined builds the employee benefit guide from the same approved case as the proposal, so plan names, rates and contribution figures match the comparison the employer signed off on.

Conclusion

A great benefit guide isn't about being comprehensive—it's about being useful. Focus on the information employees actually need, make it easy to find, and provide it in formats they'll actually use.

Use the final checklist to check the actual guide against approved plan documents, contribution assumptions, contacts and enrollment dates before distributing it.