Employers who sponsor employee benefits plans are used to providing ongoing communication to plan participants. The communications range from legally required disclosures (e.g., summary plan descriptions) to legally required notices (e.g., COBRA notices) to information voluntarily provided to participants (e.g., the importance of saving for retirement). However, regular internal communication between employer management and employees responsible for benefit plan administration and compliance ("benefits staff") is also vital to the effective operation of an employee benefits program. A lack of effective communication between an employer's management and benefits staff can result in costly, yet avoidable, compliance violations, employee relations issues, and other problems.

Here are four examples of the importance of effective internal communication between employer management and benefits staff. READ MORE