METLIFE LAUNCHES ONLINE OPEN ENROLLMENT PORTAL FOR EMPLOYERS AND BROKERS

METLIFE LAUNCHES ONLINE OPEN ENROLLMENT PORTAL FOR EMPLOYERS AND BROKERS

NEW YORK, June 02, 2009

At a time when many employers are looking closely at costs, MetLife has introduced a new online open enrollment portal to help companies of all sizes maximize the return on investment (ROI) of their employee benefits. The multimedia portal – www.metlife.com/enrollment – incorporates proprietary research, best practices, online support tools, and practical tips for employers and brokers as they gear up for the fall benefits open enrollment period. In addition, a new position paper housed on the site, Employee Benefits: A Differentiator During Challenging Economic Times, looks at the challenges and opportunities that employers face today as they make benefits decisions that support their short and long-term business objectives.

Bill Mullaney, president of MetLife’s Institutional Business and author of the position paper says, “In today’s tough economic times, employers are concerned about benefit expenses and, at first blush, may consider core and supplemental benefits a potential savings opportunity. We realize that cost control is necessary, but our research shows that these kinds of cuts could adversely affect employee morale and loyalty – key elements to a profitable business.”

“We’ve found with our customers that the best opportunity for savings is through effective spending and targeted benefits communication in order to maximize their benefits investment. This site was designed to help employers and brokers do exactly that during the fall open enrollment period,” added Mullaney.

The portal centralizes enrollment-related benefits information, and includes:

• Position Paper, Employee Benefits: A Differentiator During Challenging Economic Times – A guide for employers on optimizing benefits spend, and how to take a long-term view with employee benefit decisions in the current economic climate.
   

• Five Best Practices Checklist – List of tips for employers and brokers to maximize their enrollment strategy.
   

• Template Surveys – Free, customizable surveys that employers can distribute to their workforce, either before or after the enrollment period, to gauge the effectiveness of their benefits communications and their employees’ understanding of benefits offerings. The survey also helps companies determine which benefits make the most sense for their workforce.
   

• Benchmarking Tool – Online tool that enables employers and brokers to quickly compare and contrast relevant benefits offerings and objectives through customized queries in 35 areas, including trends by industry and geography.
   

• Employee Benefits Simplifier Tool – Free, online tool that helps workers identify which benefits may be suitable for “people like them,” and offers suggested actionable life-stage recommendations – particularly when it comes to coverage levels and benefits selection.
   

• White Paper, Open Enrollment at a Crossroad – A compilation of research that provides a window into how employees think and behave during their company’s open enrollment, and how workforce needs are changing. The paper helps ensure that employers are focused maximizing their investments in benefits to enhance their business.
   

“To the best of our knowledge, it’s the most robust collection of online open enrollment content offered by a major benefits provider. It’s designed to help companies optimize their benefits offerings and, in so doing, achieve greater returns for their benefits investment,” said Dr. Ronald Leopold, vice president of MetLife’s Institutional Business.