Language barriers are undermining employees’ access to workplace benefits, reducing enrolment and engagement and increasing the risk of errors and misunderstandings, says Parbudyal Singh, professor of human resource management at York University.
“In many cases, employees will default to not enrolling or underutilizing benefits because they’re unsure how they work or whether they apply to them.”
Employees may also be less likely to engage with benefits communications if they aren’t confident they fully understand the information being presented, he adds.
Read: Language, communication shaping DC plan members’ retirement decisions: survey
According to Singh, language accessibility is closely tied to workplace outcomes such as engagement, benefits utilization and perceptions of psychological safety and loyalty, which are linked to retention and inclusion.
At Arc’teryx Equipment, multilingual communication is embedded in benefits delivery. Information is translated into more than 10 languages and supported by live translation during employee sessions, says Breanna Yee, benefits lead, total rewards, people and culture.
The company uses written and verbal strategies, including translated materials, FAQs, presentations and real-time interpretation, to support consistency and clarity across its workforce.
“Translation alone isn’t enough — employees need the opportunity to ask questions in real time to fully understand what’s available to them,” she says.
Read: Arc’teryx Equipment awarded for tech-forward benefits communications strategy
The approach is designed to create a more equitable experience as the workforce becomes more diverse culturally and across age demographics, she adds, noting the organization aims to meet employees where they are by providing information in their preferred languages and formats.
Providing translated resources has led to higher engagement, including 256 plan changes during a recent enrolment period, alongside strong participation in its retirement program, with roughly 80 per cent of employees enrolled and most maximizing the employer match.
The company also offers live translated sessions and post-enrolment office hours, alongside human translation and multiple layers of review to ensure tone, context and cultural relevance are maintained.
Read: Arc’teryx marking Financial Literacy Month with info sessions on employee savings plans
However, many employers still rely on single-language communication unless required otherwise, says Singh, noting cost and resource constraints can limit broader adoption. “Direct translation can miss cultural nuance, which affects how messages are received and trusted.”
Organizations are increasingly using artificial intelligence alongside human oversight and tapping into multilingual employees to improve communication and build trust, he adds.
“Employers that invest in clear, accessible and culturally-aware communication are more likely to improve understanding and utilization of their benefits programs, ensuring the programs they fund deliver meaningful value to employees.”