Ways Construction Companies Can Cut Annual Enrollment Time

Benefits enrollment for 2026 is just around the corner. Typically, the process starts in mid-October and finishes up in December. The annual enrollment process is a stressful marathon of paperwork, coordination and communication, and for those in construction HR, the challenges multiply significantly.

HR teams must deal with a workforce that's scattered across job sites, fall under multiple classifications like union, non-union, seasonal and full-time, as well as workers with varying degrees of tech-savviness.

It’s a huge job that requires weeks of work before, during and after the enrollment period. And the hours can quickly multiply if administrators must track down workers and manage paper-based systems.

Traditional, manual methods of benefits enrollment simply don't work for the construction industry. Printing and distributing packets, tracking enrollment completions and communicating benefits changes with a mobile workforce is nearly impossible without an automated solution.

Here are four ways automating your benefits management process can dramatically cut enrollment time.

Benefits are Brought to the Job Site

Benefits management software meets workers where they are, whether that's at a remote construction site, in a temporary trailer or working the night shift. A cloud-based system allows all employees to access plans, information and complete tasks via a laptop or smartphone, eliminating the need for workers to travel to the main office during business hours.

For construction workers who spend their days in hard hats rather than at desks, this mobility is game-changing. Instead of waiting weeks for a worker to return to headquarters, a foreman can complete enrollment during lunch break on-site or a night-shift crew member can review options from home after their shift ends.

The amount of time saved by eliminating paper forms and in-person meetings quickly multiplies given the number of employees who must enroll. Digital systems also give HR teams the ability to track progress in real-time, providing instant visibility into who has enrolled and who still needs attention.

Communications are Automated

An essential part of annual enrollment is communicating the plans and changes available to employees for the coming year. Automated communications, including login instructions, enrollment reminders and deadline notifications, can be sent to all employees with no phone calls or back-and-forth emails required.

Modern benefits platforms provide customizable email templates and automated reminder sequences, streamlining the communication process even further. This means HR administrators can set up the entire communication flow once, then let the system handle the follow-ups automatically.

Administration and Reporting are Streamlined

HR administrators can easily set up open enrollment, add or change plans, configure eligibility rules and more, before employees are alerted that open enrollment has begun. Real-time dashboards eliminate the guesswork of tracking down stragglers and ensure no employee falls through the cracks.

Comprehensive reports allow admins to view results showing who has completed enrollment, who has started but not finished, and who hasn't begun at all. The automation helps administrators gain complete visibility without having to rely on back-and-forth communication, saving time and reducing errors.

Plus, all documentation is saved and secure, providing clear audit trails and compliance documentation when needed.

Self-Service Portal Supports Employees

Providing employees with access to their benefits administration not only increases transparency but significantly frees up administrative time. An employee portal allows workers to view their current plans, access benefit statements, compare available options, and update their demographic information, all without involving HR staff.

For construction workers who often have unpredictable schedules and limited office access, this 24/7 availability means they can handle benefits tasks when it's convenient for them, reducing the administrative burden of scheduling meetings and phone calls during business hours.

Building a Better Enrollment Process

The construction industry's unique workforce challenges don't have to make benefits enrollment a nightmare. By embracing modern HR benefits software, construction companies can transform their most time-intensive HR process into a streamlined, automated system that works for both administrators and field workers.

With 2026 enrollment approaching quickly, now is the time to evaluate whether your current process is built for your industry's realities, or if it's time to build something better.