85+ pages, 15 worksheets, and a step-by-step framework to help your team stop wasting their health benefits. Built for HR teams at companies with 10–500 employees.
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From FSA expiration deadlines to biometric screening ROI — everything your HR team needs to maximize utilization and reduce waste.
Understand the scope of the problem — and why it's not just a communication issue. This chapter breaks down why employees forfeit FSA balances, skip preventive care, and under-use HSA investment options, along with the business cost to your company.
A complete FSA utilization guide for HR teams — from structuring deadlines and grace periods to running end-of-year spend campaigns. Includes an FSA expiration checklist and communication timeline template your team can deploy immediately.
Most employees treat their HSA like a savings account. This chapter shows HR teams how to educate employees on the triple-tax advantage, employer match strategies, and investment thresholds — turning HSAs into long-term wealth vehicles.
A 60-day open enrollment checklist built for lean HR teams — pre-enrollment prep, decision support sessions, election deadline reminders, and post-enrollment verification. Never run a chaotic enrollment period again.
ACA-mandated preventive care is $0 copay — yet most employees skip their annual physical, dental cleaning, and screening tests. This chapter gives HR teams scripts, timing windows, and nudge strategies that actually move the needle.
Biometric screenings can unlock 5–15% premium discounts for employees — but participation rates at most companies are under 30%. This chapter covers program design, vendor selection, deadline management, and the ROI calculation worksheet your CFO will want to see.
The most complete benefits guide in the world doesn't help if employees delete your emails. This chapter covers benefits communication strategy — the channels, timing, framing, and personalization that drive action (not just opens).
Instant download · 15 worksheets included
Whether you're running benefits solo or leading a small HR team, this playbook meets you where you are.
You chose the benefits plan and now employees aren't using it. This playbook gives you the framework to stop that waste — without hiring an HR consultant.
Running benefits at a 50–500 person company means you own utilization, enrollment, and communication — often with a team of one. This playbook is your operating manual.
Self-employed and navigating FSA, HSA, and marketplace plans alone? The worksheets in this playbook walk you through every decision point — no broker required.
Looking for a leave-behind that actually helps your small business clients between enrollment windows? This playbook is a client education tool your book of business will thank you for.
85+ pages of actionable strategy, 15 worksheets you can put to work immediately, and a full-year benefits communication calendar. For $19.
Get the Playbook — $19Instant digital download · One-time purchase · No subscription
Answers to the questions HR teams and small business owners ask most — with links to deeper reading where relevant.
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) lets employees set aside pre-tax dollars for eligible medical expenses — reducing their taxable income and increasing take-home pay. The catch: most FSAs have a "use it or lose it" rule. Funds not spent by the plan year deadline (or grace period) are forfeited. The playbook's Chapter 2 gives HR teams a complete FSA expiration checklist — including the campaign timeline, communication templates, and eligible expense reminders that drive spend before the deadline.
For small businesses with employer-sponsored group health insurance, open enrollment timing is set by your plan's anniversary date — not a fixed national window. Most group plans renew January 1 (with open enrollment in October–November) or on the company's policy anniversary. The playbook's Chapter 4 includes a 60-day open enrollment checklist for small business HR teams — built around your specific plan calendar, not a generic annual dates list.
The most effective HR benefits utilization strategies combine three things: proactive communication (not just enrollment-window reminders), personalized nudges tied to real dollar values, and reducing decision friction at every step. Generic benefits emails get ignored. Personalized messages that say "You have $287 in your FSA that expires in 31 days — here's how to spend it" get acted on. The playbook's Chapter 7 covers the benefits communication strategy framework — channel selection, timing, message framing, and how to build a 12-month calendar your whole team can run.
The playbook is 85+ pages covering FSA utilization, HSA investment strategy, open enrollment checklists, preventive care campaigns, biometric screening ROI, and benefits communication strategy — across 7 chapters. It includes 15 ready-to-use worksheets: FSA spend-down tracker, HSA contribution optimizer, open enrollment 60-day checklist, plan comparison matrix, preventive visit tracker, biometric screening ROI calculator, and a 12-month benefits communication calendar, among others. Delivered as an instant digital download for $19.
FSAs (Flexible Spending Accounts) are employer-sponsored, available with any health plan, and generally have a use-it-or-lose-it deadline each year. HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) are only available with High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs), are owned by the employee (not the employer), roll over indefinitely, and can be invested for long-term growth. HSAs have a triple-tax advantage: contributions are pre-tax, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified medical expenses are tax-free. The playbook covers both in detail — Chapters 2 and 3 respectively — with worksheets for each.
Yes — the playbook is specifically designed for small businesses, including companies with 10–50 employees where benefits administration is a part-time job for an owner or office manager. The frameworks are built to be operated by one or two people, the worksheets are designed for small populations, and the communication templates don't require a dedicated HR software platform to execute.
Free guides covering the topics the playbook goes further on — use these alongside the framework.
Exactly when to act, what expenses qualify, and how HR teams can help employees recover money before the deadline.
Read more →A plain-English comparison of contribution limits, rollover rules, and which account type wins for small business teams.
Read more →The full list of zero-cost preventive services most employees don't know they already have access to.
Read more →For $19, you get the complete framework: 85+ pages, 15 worksheets, and an HR team that actually knows how to drive benefits utilization.
Digital download · No subscription · Use it with any HR stack