If your business already has a benefits plan in effect, but officers within your company with the authority to make changes are discussing benefits revisions, you should seriously consider informing your employees in good faith. By serious, we mean that you’re considering a specific proposal that may be implemented.
For example, it’s unfair and rather underhanded to allow employees to make important decisions about retirement, which could have a major impact on their family life, based on information that will soon be out of date.
If your company is seriously contemplating a new plan, you might want to educate your human resources department as well. Employees are not responsible for finding out for themselves about available benefits, and you don’t want to find yourself in the uncomfortable position of being unprepared to explain new benefits to your employees.
Informing your employees about the change will mean updating your employee handbook, making sure that news of the plan change reaches your employees and having system in place to answer questions that arise.
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