Turning Compliance Into Culture
When you sit down with a client to talk about compliance, what happens?
For most employers and their brokers, it's about checking boxes. Make sure the paperwork is filed. Avoid penalties. Stay out of trouble.
And sure, that works.
But there's a different way to look at it.
What if compliance wasn't just about avoiding fines?
What if it could actually build culture?
The Problem with the Checkbox Approach
Here's what usually happens: A broker comes in with a major medical plan. The full-time employees who can afford it enroll. Everyone else is left out.
The employer meets the minimum requirement. The broker moves on to the next renewal.
But what about the 40% of the workforce who didn't sign up? The part-timers, the variable-hour employees, the folks who can't swing the premium?
They're still your employees. They still show up every day. But they're not included.
That sends a message, whether you mean to or not.
Including Everyone Changes Everything
When you bring a tiered approach to benefits, something shifts.
Yes, you offer major medical for those who want it. But you also bring a MEC plan and a minimum value plan for those who need something more affordable.
Now you're meeting people where they're at financially. And in how they actually use their insurance.
The single mom working 30 hours a week gets preventive care. The college student on the warehouse floor has access to something. The new hire who's still figuring things out isn't left behind.
This isn't about being generous. It's about being smart.
When employees feel included, morale goes up. Turnover goes down. Your client's employer brand gets stronger.
All because you helped them stop leaving people out.
Trusted Advisor vs. Vendor
Here's the truth about one-size-fits-all: it makes you look like a vendor.
You're just selling what's easy. What's always been done. What checks the box.
But when you tailor your offering to fit different employee situations, you become a trusted advisor.
You're solving real problems. You're thinking about the entire workforce, not just the ones who can afford the top-tier plan.
And that makes you a lot harder to displace.
How to Start This Conversation
Next time you're in a meeting, try asking this:
"How many of your employees aren't enrolling in your current plan? And what message does that send to them?"
Most employers haven't thought about it that way. They've been focused on compliance, not culture.
But when you help them see the connection, everything changes.
You're not just helping them avoid a penalty. You're helping them build a workplace where people feel valued.
That's the kind of work that sticks.
Let's Talk
If this approach makes sense to you and you'd like to learn how to have these conversations with your clients, I'd love to connect.
You can find my contact information on my LinkedIn page or visit http://evolvedbenefits.com and fill out the contact form.
I'm happy to walk you through how to position this with your groups. Because when you help employers turn compliance into culture, you're not just winning business, you're changing how companies treat their people.
I look forward to hearing from you.