Zabasky Pitches Annual Benefits Checkup as a Small-Employer Habit

Small employers should build a free annual review of their benefits setup into their yearly routine, says John Zabasky, CEO of WorXsiteHR Insurance Solutions, Inc. The checkup examines how a plan is being used, where workers encounter friction, and whether the employer still gets a fair deal on cost. Zabasky frames the practice as a standing habit rather than a one-time favor and recommends scheduling it automatically each year instead of waiting for a problem to prompt a review.

"Most employers only look hard at their benefits when something breaks," Zabasky said. "I want employers checking in every year, on purpose, whether anything is wrong or not."

The distinction matters for Texas employers, particularly those relying on part-time, seasonal, and lower-income workforces. In sectors from hospitality and agriculture to logistics and retail, headcount and hours shift throughout the year. A plan that fit in January can become a poor fit by September, and without a scheduled review, nobody notices until renewal. Zabasky said the idea grew from his work with those populations through the HealthWorX Plan, where WorXsiteHR serves as exclusive third-party administrator. HealthWorX is described as a no-cost medical plan subsidized by a non-profit and built to give lower-income, part-time, and seasonal workers access to healthcare they can actually use.

Zabasky describes the checkup as a plain look at how a plan is working, not a pitch for a new one. It should walk through enrollment numbers, claims patterns, and worker feedback directly with the employer. A good review, he said, gives employers three things: a plain-language summary of plan performance, a short list of changes worth making, and a direct answer on whether costs remain in line with what similar employers pay.

The implications extend beyond administrative tidiness. Benefits are a major cost line for small businesses, and unused benefits represent wasted spending. If workers quietly stop using a plan, the employer may be paying for coverage that no longer delivers value. An annual review creates a regular checkpoint to catch that erosion early. "I would rather flag a problem in June than have an employer find out at renewal that their workers stopped using the plan months ago," Zabasky said.

He recommends keeping the process simple: a short meeting, a plain summary, and a small number of recommendations an employer can act on right away. "You are not trying to hand someone a hundred-page report," he said. "You want them to walk away knowing three things: what is working, what is not, and what to do about it."

For small employers, the broader takeaway is that benefits management is not a set-and-forget exercise. Zabasky said an annual checkup habit is one way employers can make sure access does not quietly erode over time. "A benefit only works if people use it," he said. "A checkup is how you make sure that stays true year after year, not just in the first year."