Why a harder sign-up could get more employees using their benefits

The researchers are specific about when the effect applies: when the target behavior requires ongoing follow-through rather than a one-time action, when both the sign-up effort and the behavior itself are voluntary, and when the extra step feels connected to the benefit rather than arbitrary paperwork. Those three conditions describe a lot of the voluntary and wellbeing benefits brokers place today: an employee assistance program, a diabetes management app, a financial coaching subscription, a fitness or mental health benefit bundled into a group plan. Employees enroll in each of these once, and then the benefit only delivers value through repeated use, both to the employee and to the employer’s utilization numbers.