{
  "id": 19478497,
  "title": "Open enrollment is squeezing small businesses. Nearly 70% want outside help",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/11/open-enrollment-is-squeezing-small-businesses-nearly-70-want-outside",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-11-11T09:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91635145/open-enrollment-squeezing-small-businesses"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Nearly 70% of small business owners in a recent U.S. Chamber of Commerce and JustWorks survey admitted they need outside help to manage their employees' complex benefit plans. The growing costs of health care insurance, which rose over 9% this year, are particularly burdensome for small businesses. Despite the challenges, many entrepreneurs are expanding benefit coverage to more staff members through budgeting and financing adjustments. A majority of business owners surveyed plan to seek expert assistance to manage their benefit programs effectively. Benefits have been shown to improve staff productivity, retention, and loyalty, with around 80% of small business owners reporting employee satisfaction with current offerings.",
  "summary": "With businesses now overseeing open enrollment for their workers, many employers admit they’re struggling to find ways to finance and organize increasingly complex benefit plans . Yet rather than decide to simply cut those programs as too costly and laborious to continue, a majority of small business owners are considering turning to outside experts’ help to make them more effective. Employers’…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}