Absence Management Perspectives

If the thought of discussing sleep hygiene at work sounds foreign, listen in to this episode to hear why more employers are discussing sleep disorders to ensure team safety and productivity. Gage Koeller, senior research analyst at MDGuidelines, and Matt Thiese, PhD, assistant professor at the University of Utah, share startling statistics on costs as well as ideas for what you can do to improve employee health. Find additional insights and research from our guests in their column Why Should Employers Care About Rising Sleep Disorder Rates? The column was published in DMEC's @Work magazine, and we've unlocked it for listeners. Find the link below.

Resources:

1. Why Should Employers Care About Rising Sleep Disorder Rates?
2. FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors & Managers
3. Join the DMEC membership community

Joel Zeff, work culture expert, improvisational humorist, and author, gives a sneak peek into his 2026 DMEC Compliance Conference keynote presentation. It focuses on the value of investing in fun at work and how that helps organizations of all sizes and industries become more productive. Listen in for details and a story you won't forget about a magic harmonica, and join us for the 2026 DMEC Compliance Conference April 13-16 in St. Louis, Mo., for four days of educational sessions, networking, and fun that will set your whole team up for success!

Register your teams today: https://dmec.org/compliance-conference/registration/

Resources:

• 2026 DMEC Compliance Conference
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors & Managers
• DMEC Membership

Hear insights on education trends that set employers up for greater success, including a shift toward competency-based analyses that ensure employees have a clear roadmap for growth that aligns with employer expectations and leads to smarter hiring choices for employers, more focused development, and stronger performance management. Get the inside scoop from DMEC Education gurus Kristin Jones, CLMS, PHR, SHRM-CP, Director, Education Programs, and Laura Boll, CLMS, Experiential Learning Manager.

Resources:

• Certification & Training resources
• Certified Leave Management Specialist Certification: Expanded and Redesigned
• Building a Return-to-Work Microcredential Course
• 2025 DMEC AI Think Tank White Paper:Defining Ethical and Effective Workforce Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Leave and Accommodation Management

Become a DMEC member today to access high-quality, laser-focused education and training employees need to ensure compliance. Learn more and join our community of workplace accommodation and leave management professionals today!

Mentioned in this episode:

Are Leave Management Specialists Asking the Right Questions?

Increase Your Professional Value. Become a Certified Leave Management Specialist Today: https://dmec.org/certification-and-training/clms-certification/

DMEC

Parental leave may serve as a signal for how organizations treat employees. Would yours be green, yellow, or red? Listen in to this episode with Allison Whalen, cofounder, CEO, Parentaly, who shares recent data findings and insights into how employers benefit from a strategic plan for parental leave.

Resources:

• Can Managers Make or Break the Parental Leave Experience for Employees?
• DMEC
• Benefits of DMEC Membership
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managerstraining

Ditching the word psychedelic is helping employers embrace therapies that show "groundbreaking results" including faster recovery and more productive employees, explains Sherry Rais, CEO and co-founder of Enthea, in this episode. In addition to health improvements, these therapies can lead to lower healthcare costs and lower disability costs. Hear more about psychedelic-assisted therapies that can be effective with treatment-resistant patients, studies underway in this episode of the DMEC podcast.

As the leave management landscape continues to morph and change across the U.S., employers are getting more creative with how they support employees, and recognizing the need to lead with heart. With higher employee expectations for benefit plan and program design, DMEC subject matter experts note that employers are giving more than ever before during this episode of the DMEC podcast. Listen in for insights from Kristin Jones, CLMS, PHR, SHRM-CP, Director, DMEC Education Programs; Jess Dudley, CLMS, CPDM, DMEC Senior Education Manager; and Virginia Cyrus, DMEC Education Manager.

They discuss takeaways from the 2025 DMEC Annual Conference, which illustrate bigger industry trends and the value of attending DMEC’s Virtual Annual Conference on Oct. 1. Register by Sept. 19 for a chance to win prizes and gain the insights and tools your team needs for ongoing success: https://dmec.org/annual-conference/virtual-event/

Resources:

• DMEC Membership
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors & Managers
• Virtual Annual Conference
• DMEC Certification & Training

After experiencing the accommodations process, Kelly Woodbridge, M.Ed., ADAC, CLMS, was inspired to create a more transparent and accessible process that encourages employees to tap into benefits that support their ongoing success. Her efforts have streamlined the leave management process at Lehigh University, which is (in part) why two of her colleagues nominated her for the 2025 DMEC Emerging Leader Award. Woodbridge is the first accommodation specialist at Lehigh and her caseload has tripled in the two-plus years she has worked for the university. Listen in to hear how her investments in training and education and her passion for supporting employees in need are improving the culture as well as the employee experience.

Additional resources:

• Intersectionality: A Valuable Tool to Normalize Disability in the Workplace
• Learn more about DMEC
• Become a Certified Leave Management Specialist
• Join the DMEC community
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managers

Mentioned in this episode:

Are Leave Management Specialists Asking the Right Questions?

Increase Your Professional Value. Become a Certified Leave Management Specialist Today: https://dmec.org/certification-and-training/clms-certification/

DMEC

Hear how answering three questions can help you lead a more purpose-driven and fully activated life from Sebastian (Seb) Terry, the 2025 DMEC Annual Conference speaker. Listen in for a fresh take on how people can gain more control over change by pausing long enough to consider their role in it and their ability to influence outcomes.

And join us for the 2025 DMEC Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Aug. 4-7 to hear more from Seb, and to capitalize on the unique opportunity to focus on the intricacies of leave management with hundreds of your peers. You'll find solutions to everyday challenges and gain the support and guidance you need for future success.

Register today: https://dmec.org/annual-conference/

What are employers missing with state disability accommodation laws? Listen in to our guests from Reliance Matrix, who add context to a recent article in @Work magazine titled “Dangers Lurk in State Discrimination Laws,” which we have unlocked for listeners. Hear Lana Steven, AVP and Senior Product Compliance Counsel, Eric Broutman, AVP & Sr. Employment Law and Litigation Counsel, and Armando Rodriguez. Esq., Product Compliance Counsel, talk about ways employers can ensure they comply with state disability accommodation laws that are, in some instances, more generous that federal laws! 

Resources

• Dangers Lurk in State Discrimination Laws
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managers
• 2025 DMEC Annual Conference
• Accommodation resources & tools

Neurodiversity is like biodiversity — there is a natural variation between the ways the human brain functions and there is no one right way of thinking, learning, or behaving, explains Lizzie Somerfield, LLM, MSC, New Deal for Neurodiversity, in this podcast episode with Seth Turner, founder, senior advisor, AbsenceSoft.

Listen in to hear our guests talk about small adjustments that can be made to workplaces to ensure they are neuroinclusive, and how that can benefit all employees. Hear insights and practical guidance from Somerfield and Turner, who encourage employers to ask questions and engage openly in discussions to create psychological safety for neurodiverse individuals, who may represent one in four of your team members.

Resources:

• DMEC
• New Deal for Neurodiversity
• AbsenceSoft
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managers
• Learn more about neurodiversity during the2025 DMEC Virtual Compliance Conferenceon June 4 lunch-and-learn discussion titled, "From Compliance to Culture: What Every HR Leader Should Know About Neurodiversity" with leaders from ThynkStack.
• Join us for several educational sessions focused on neurodiversity during the2025 DMEC Annual ConferenceAug. 4-7 in Washington, D.C.

We encourage DMEC members to listen in and share their takeaways and insights from this episode on the DMECommunities Mental Health group. This members-only, online discussion platform enables members to post questions and share solutions!

Mentioned in this episode:

Are Leave Management Specialists Asking the Right Questions?

Increase Your Professional Value. Become a Certified Leave Management Specialist Today: https://dmec.org/certification-and-training/clms-certification/

DMEC