The Challenge: A Disconnected, Multi-State Field Workforce
When an established energy services company expanded its footprint across multiple major operating basins, its retirement plan faced a common operational hurdle: geographical fragmentation.
While corporate headquarters leadership had access to digital benefit tools, the company's field operators, technicians, and mechanics across regional yards and operating facilities were essentially navigating their 401(k) on their own.
Field personnel told the sponsor they wanted more in-person access to plan education.
Low Engagement & Contribution Drift: Participation among field employees lagged behind corporate office rates. Many employees remained at default contribution tiers or opted out entirely due to unfamiliarity with enrollment mechanics.
Fiduciary Responsibility Concerns: Corporate leadership recognized that under ERISA guidelines, plan sponsors have a fiduciary obligation to provide meaningful plan access and education across the entire eligible employee pool—not just to corporate headquarters.
The Strategy: Boots-on-the-Ground Fiduciary Engagement
When The Retirement Studio partnered with the sponsor as the plan’s dedicated advisory team, the priority was clear: eliminate the communication gap between plan governance and frontline participants. Rather than relying on automated emails, webinars, or recorded slide decks that field crews rarely have time to watch, our team initiated a comprehensive on-site enrollment and education tour across all operating hubs:
1,200 miles driven through service territory corridors.
6 commercial and regional flights connecting multi-state hubs.
Three states traversed to ensure every shift had access to an advisor.
At each yard and regional facility, we held open-door, one-on-one sessions directly on-site:
Meeting Frontline Schedules: We scheduled sessions around field crew shift changes, early morning roll-calls, and shop rotations so employees didn't have to sacrifice off-duty hours.
Personalized Contribution Mapping: We walked participants through how increasing deferrals by even 1% or 2% interacts with company matching formulas, demonstrating the long-term impact on take-home pay versus retirement accumulation.
Menu Demystification: We simplified investment menus, explaining how target-date fund glidepaths operate compared to core index options in straightforward, jargon-free language.
The Outcome: Meaningful Progress Across the Balance Sheet
By bringing advisory support directly to the shops, yards, and regional facilities, the campaign delivered noticeable progress (individual plan outcomes vary based on demographics and engagement):
Broad Participant Access: More than 200 eligible participants met one-on-one with an advisor on-site—many for the first time in their careers.
Elevated Deferral Rates: Personalized reviews prompted numerous participants to increase their elective deferrals to capture the complete corporate matching contribution, reducing company-wide non-participation drag.
Documented Fiduciary Oversight: The corporate retirement committee established an auditable, documented record of proactive participant education, supporting ERISA compliance standards for participant engagement.
The Bottom Line: Moving the Needle for Plan Sponsors
A 401(k) plan is only as effective as its participants' ability to understand and utilize it. For companies with distributed, hands-on workforces, passive digital portals are rarely enough. Delivering meaningful retirement outcomes requires meeting employees where they work.
If you are evaluating your corporate 401(k) engagement, benchmarking plan fee structures, or seeking proactive fiduciary advisory for your workforce, our team is ready to help. Reach out today to schedule a plan review and discovery discussion with The Retirement Studio.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Field employees frequently work non-traditional shifts without regular desk or computer access. On-site, shift-aligned visits ensure that participants receive direct answers about contributions, employer matching, and investment allocations without having to navigate self-service phone queues or online portals during their personal time.
-
ERISA does not explicitly mandate in-person meetings, but it does require plan fiduciaries to operate plans for the exclusive benefit of participants and provide sufficient information so employees can make informed investment decisions (particularly under ERISA Section 404(c)). Documenting regular educational outreach helps demonstrate prudent plan administration.
-
In our experience, and according to industry research, in-person education is often associated with higher enrollment and deferral rates. Helping employees understand employer matching thresholds reduces under-saving and supports long-term retirement readiness.
-
We structure multi-hub education tours that align with company operational calendars, shift rotations, and regional hubs. By coordinating logistics directly with local HR and site operations managers, we minimize production disruption while ensuring maximum employee access.
All advisory services are offered through Savvy Advisors, Inc. (“Savvy Advisors”), an investment advisor registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Savvy Wealth Inc. (“Savvy Wealth”) is a technology company and the parent company of Savvy Advisors. Savvy Wealth and Savvy Advisors are often collectively referred to as “Savvy”. The Retirement Studio is used for marketing purposes only. The Retirement Studio is not a separately registered investment advisor. This content is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation. Individual results will vary. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training.
Case studies are presented for illustrative and educational purposes to demonstrate process and services provided. They do not represent a guarantee of future plan outcomes, investment performance, or participant behavior. Specific circumstances, plan demographics, and outcomes will vary for each corporate plan sponsor.
ERISA fiduciary services, including ERISA Section 3(21) investment advisory and Section 3(38) investment management services, are provided by Savvy Advisors, Inc., not by The Retirement Studio (which is a marketing name only). Appointment of a 3(38) investment manager transfers discretionary investment management responsibility for the plan’s investment options to Savvy Advisors, Inc., but does not relieve the plan sponsor or other plan fiduciaries of their duty to prudently select and monitor the investment manager, or of other fiduciary obligations under ERISA. Plan fiduciaries should consult with their own ERISA counsel regarding the scope and limitations of any fiduciary delegation.
