You’ve built a competitive and comprehensive benefits suite. But if your employees aren’t using it, how much is it really costing you?
For HR and benefits leaders, underutilized benefits are a persistent and costly problem. Despite significant investments in wellness programs, healthcare offerings, and professional development, many employees are unaware of what’s available or unsure how to access it.
Let’s explore why underused benefits are a problem and how to address them effectively.
The Hidden Costs of Underused Benefits
Organizations spend thousands per employee on healthcare, mental health support, wellness incentives, and more. When these programs go unused, the financial impact adds up quickly. But beyond budget waste, underused benefits create a ripple effect across workforce well-being and engagement.
Wasted Investment
Every unused wellness program, EAP session, or preventive care visit represents dollars spent with no ROI. It also signals a missed opportunity to reduce stress, detect disease earlier, or help an employee feel seen and supported.
Lower Satisfaction and Morale
When employees don’t understand or trust the benefits available to them, dissatisfaction grows. They may feel that promised support is just marketing fluff, which can erode trust in HR and leadership.
Decreased Health and Productivity
When preventive services go unused or chronic issues are left unaddressed, productivity suffers. Employees miss more days, work distracted, or even leave the company in search of better support elsewhere.
Why Employees Don’t Use Their Benefits
To fix the problem, you first need to understand it. In our experience, there are four main reasons employees skip out on using their benefits:
1. Lack of Awareness
Many employees simply don’t know what’s available to them. Whether overwhelmed during onboarding or lost in HR portals, they never fully understand the breadth of support offered.
2. Confusing or Frustrating Experiences
Clunky platforms, unclear instructions, and too many logins create friction. If it’s hard to access a benefit once, many employees won’t try again.
3. Perceived Lack of Relevance or Trust
Even great benefits fall flat if employees don’t see how they apply to their lives or don’t trust that using them will lead to meaningful support. If all they see is a flyer during open enrollment, they’re unlikely to engage.
4. One-and-Done Communication
Relying on annual benefits booklets or sporadic emails isn’t enough. Employees need consistent, clear, and personalized reminders throughout the year, especially during moments that matter—like a new diagnosis, a parenting challenge, or a growing health concern.
Turning Underused Benefits Into Workforce Impact
The solution lies in turning passive availability into active engagement. And that starts with treating your benefits like any other product: promote it, simplify it, and deliver real value.
Here’s how forward-thinking HR leaders are shifting the dynamic:
Proactive Communication Year-Round
Move beyond open enrollment. Deliver bite-sized, benefit-specific messages via email, Slack, internal newsletters, and manager toolkits. Speak directly to real-life needs. For example, “Stressed? Tap into your EAP,” or “Planning for a baby? Here’s how your benefits can help.”
Simplify the Experience
Make it easy to explore and use benefits. Streamline access with a single sign-on, intuitive platform design, and mobile-friendly interfaces. Reduce the steps between “I think I need help” and “I got it.”
Personalize the Message
Tailor messaging by life stage, role, or known health needs. Younger employees may care more about mental health and fertility, while older workers are more focused on MSK issues and preventive care. Speak their language, and you’ll see engagement rise.
Build Trust Through Human Touch
Employees trust people more than portals. That’s why solutions like Summus put doctors at the center of the experience. When a trusted expert introduces other benefits—like behavioral health, MSK support, or in-network providers—employees listen and act.
Showcase Real Results
Share stories from employees who used a benefit and saw real impact. “After a consult with a Summus specialist, I avoided surgery.” Testimonials are powerful proof that your programs work.
How Summus Drives Engagement Across Your Benefits Ecosystem
Summus doesn’t just sit alongside your benefits—we help to activate them.
Our doctor-led platform acts as a trusted clinical front door, guiding employees into the right care at the right time. Through fast virtual access to leading specialists, we help employees gain clarity on diagnoses, avoid unnecessary procedures, and discover underused services like second opinions or behavioral health support.
And because we’re integrated into your benefits ecosystem, Summus can also refer employees into your other vendor programs, increasing awareness, trust, and usage across the board.
Clients using Summus see:
- Higher engagement scores
- Increased ROI on benefit offerings
- Greater satisfaction across employee populations
Don’t Let Good Benefits Go to Waste
You’ve already made the investment. Now it’s time to realize its full potential. By removing friction, building trust, and meeting employees where they are, you can turn underused benefits into powerful tools for health, productivity, and retention.
Explore how Summus increases awareness and engagement through doctor-led, real-time guidance.
