The 6th Wellbeing Pillar No One is Talking About: Access

Many of us in the industry have been talking about the five pillars of wellbeing for years: career, social, financial, physical, and community. Financial well-being tends to dominate most conversations, and for good reason. Benefits packages represent real money, real security, and real peace of mind for employees. 

But here's something the industry has been slow to reckon with: A great benefits package that employees can't navigate isn't actually providing any of that. There's a sixth pillar we should be discussing with the same urgency as financial well-being: “access.” 

What I Mean by “Access” 

Access means knowing what you have, knowing where to go, and knowing how to use it when it matters most. Without that, everything else is theoretical. 

I learned this firsthand a few years ago when my son’s spirited personality made his preschool experience challenging. He was eventually diagnosed with ADHD, and the process of figuring that out — and figuring out how best to set up my son for success — was one of the most stressful things I've experienced as a parent. But I was fortunate. I knew the power of my benefits package and exactly which resources were available to me. 

My situation isn't unique in the details, but it is in the outcome. Every day, any given employee could be dealing with unexpected diagnoses, caregiving responsibilities, an unforeseen accident, or a mental health crisis — and far too many of them are sitting on benefits that could help without knowing it. That's not just a communication failure. It's a missed opportunity at the most human level. 

The ROI of Access 

It’s not all talk; there’s real data that backs up why employee access is critical for your clients:

• 83% of employees say better benefits make them more productive¹
• 76% of employees who understand their benefits report being happy at work² 
• 82% say that understanding their package gives them a stronger sense of overall stability² 
• Roughly 40% of workers are significantly more likely to stay in their current role when they understand and value their benefits² 

Yet, despite the data, over half of employees find benefits information confusing enough that they underutilize their plans or walk away from open enrollment, regretting their choices.³ 

Perhaps the most striking data point of all: Up to 30% of employees aren't sure whether their employer even offers basic coverage such as medical, dental, and vision.³ This represents a significant gap in perceived employer value and shows us that the ROI on closing the access gap isn't hypothetical. It's sitting right there. 

What Providing Access Looks Like in Practice 

The brokers I’ve seen to be most successful in the voluntary industry are the ones who treat benefits communication as part of the core strategy, not an afterthought to enrollment season. That doesn't mean overhauling how your client operates — it means meeting employees where they are and asking the right questions upfront, like: 

• What does your workforce actually look like? 
• What are your employees dealing with?
• What benefits do your employees need to understand most, and how do they prefer to receive that information? 

The ones doing this well are also the ones repositioning benefits the way most people already talk about their 401(k): as a financial resource and a meaningful part of total compensation, not a "nice to have." That shift in framing changes how employees engage with what they have, how your clients invest in the conversation, and it changes outcomes. 

… 

I often think about my son whenever I’m in a conversation with my brokers. I had the knowledge I needed when it mattered most, and it made a world of difference for my family. Many employees don’t have that knowledge. Not unless someone makes accessing their benefits a priority before the moment of need arrives. 

When it all works the way it should, you and your clients see it in the outcomes: a claim filed without confusion, a renewal that holds, an employee who feels genuinely supported by their employer. Those are the enrollments I always try to work toward. And it starts with making sure people know what they have. 

Sources: 
_{1 83% of employees say better benefits makes them more productive. Employee Benefits News. 2025. 
2 Employees Who Want Happiness and Stability Can’t Overlook Benefits: New Study. Metlife. 2023. 
3 Employee Benefits Influence Worker Satisfaction But Lack of Awareness Could Undermine Their Impact. LIMRA. 2023.}