Absence Management Perspectives

Industry benchmarks helped Jenny Haykin, integrated leaves and accommodations program manager for Puget Sound Energy, identify "excessive leave utilization" and reduce short-term disability by 45%! Listen in to learn how she did it.

DMEC resources referenced in the episode:

• DMEC AbsenceExemplar™ Benchmarking Dashboards
• Strategies for Managing Excessive Use of Leave
• 2024 DMEC Annual Conference

Two years after implementation, data shows that the Granite State's Voluntary Paid Family and Medical Leave Law (the first in the country) is increasingly popular with employees! What does this mean for employers? Listen in for hot-off-the-presses data and insights from Gina Rutledge, director of paid family and medical leave product management and strategic planning with MetLife.

Resources mentioned during the episode:

• 2024 DMEC Annual Conference
• Navigating PFML Options, a DMEC@Workmagazine column that we have unlocked for podcast listeners
• State and Local Leave Laws Resource
• MetLife 2024 Employee Benefit Trends Study
• Diving Deeper - Navigating Delaware's PFML Regulations for Employerswebinar archive
• Shift from Mandated PFML Programs-What You Need to Knowwebinar archive

"It needs to be ok to ask for an exception" in life, says Amberley Snyder, an award-winning rodeo rider, inspirational speaker, and social media influencer, who talks about how employers can support employees with disabilities in the workplace. Listen in for a sneak peek into Snyder's keynote presentation at the 2024 DMEC Annual Conference Aug. 5-8 in Nashville, Tenn. And get ready for helpful insights, specific guidance, and lots of laughter!

Resources:

• 2024 DMEC Annual Conference
• Amberley Snyder
• Walk, Ride, Rodeo: A Netflix movie based on Amberley Snyder's life

With mental health on track to become the No. 1 driver of short-term disability claims, employers seek new ways to support several generations of employees in the workplace. Listen in to this episode for guidance and perspectives from David Setzkorn, MBA, CPCU, senior vice president of workforce absence and disability practice leader for Sedgwick, and Mark Debus, LCSW, clinical manager of behavioral health services for Sedgwick. 

Resources:

• The Evolution of Mental Health and Shifting Demographics
• DMEC Mental Health Resources & Tools
• The Evolution of Mental Health Parity: Webinar recording
• Employers Are Investing in Employee Mental Health: A DMEC Podcast Playlist

Described as one of the most volatile aspects of employment law, paid sick leave laws are increasing (and changing) at a rapid rate. Listen in to this episode with Josh Seidman, partner with Seyfarth Shaw and co-lead of the leaves of absence management and accommodations team to hear about emerging trends and common employer mistakes to avoid!

Resources:

• Hear Josh Seidman share more guidance on paid sick leave laws during the 2024 DMEC Annual Conference in August. Peruse the agenda and register: https://dmec.org/conferences-and-events/annual-conference/
• Visit the DMEC Paid Sick Leave Law Updates page for news and information provided by the Seyfarth Shaw team: https://dmec.org/resources/paid-sick-leave-updates/

Hear about creative solutions designed by two winners of the 2023 DMEC Emerging Leader Award, how they define leadership, and the mutually beneficial effects of recognizing (and rewarding) this important work! Get insights from Ashleigh Brock, JD, lead compliance coordinator for the city of Memphis, and Keemia Vaghef, PhD, director of analytics consulting, leave solutions at Alight Solutions, in this extended podcast episode!

From designing streamlined processes to improve efficiencies to dispelling benchmarking myths for greater success, these award winners set a high bar! Listen in for inspiration! And nominate superstars in your organization before May 30 for this leadership award!

Read more about the 2023 award winners in the @Work magazine article Celebrating Leadership in Absence and Disability Management Circles.

Learn about the Emerging Leader Award criteria and complete the nomination form to highlight emerging leaders in your organization!: https://dmec.org/about-dmec/leadership-award/

Hear DMEC subject matter experts discuss hot topics from the 2024 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference including priorities shared by the DOL and EEOC. Bryon Bass, CLMS, CEO; Jess Dudley, CLMS, CPDM, education manager; and Kristin Jones, CLMS, PHR, SHRM-CP, director of education programs, talk about what resonated most as well as tips to help integrated disability and absence managers create compliant and caring environments. 

Resources referenced in this episode:

• 2024 DMEC Virtual Compliance Conference
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managers
• Building a Return-to-Work Program Microcredential Course
• DMEC

Creating programs that address an employee’s unique social determinants of health (SDOH) can improve employee health and productivity, say Patty Nunez, MA, CRC, CDMS, CCM, Commissioner, Commission for Case Manager Certification, and director, Claim Supply Management, CNA Insurance, and Vivian Campagna, DNP, RN-BC, CCM, chief industry relations officer with the Commission for Case Manager Certification in this episode of the podcast. The work can also prevent accidents or injuries that prompt leaves of absence. Hear what employers can do to embrace the concept and construct of SDOH to improve employee health, wellness, and safety.

Resources:

• Addressing Social Determinants of Health Improves Absence Management and Return to Work
• DMEC resources
• FMLA/ADA Training for Supervisors and Managers

“There’s never been a more compelling business case for investing in mental health than there is now,” says Bryon Bass, CLMS, CEO, DMEC. Hear Bass discuss takeaways from the 2024 DMEC Virtual Mental Health Conference with Kristin Jones, CLMS, PHR, SHRM-CP, DMEC director of education programs, and Jess Dudley, CLMS, CPDM, DMEC education manager, in this podcast episode. The conference, which was sponsored by the Marsh McLennan Agency, highlighted employer case studies, business case tips, and resources galore! Listen in for details!

 Resources:

• DMEC Mental Health Resources
• A Four-Part Framework for a Mental Health-Friendly Workplace
• How to Create Mentally Healthier Work Environments
• Now is the Time for Employers to Make Mental Health an Organizational Priority
• The Surgeon General's Framework for Workplace Mental Health and Well-Being
• Hear How Employers Are Investing in Employee Mental Health: A DMEC Podcast Playlist
• Equalizing Mental and Physical Health in the Workplace
• Employers Seek Ways to Turn the Tide on Employee Mental Health

Nora Burns, founder and chief curiosity officer of The Leadership Experts, shares findings from her Undercover Candidate research, some of which she describes as horrifying! Listen in to hear this dynamic HR executive turned consultant talk about the cost of culture in advance of her keynote presentation at the 2024 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference March 25-28. 

Resources noted:

• Redefining Culture and Its Costs: Undercover Project Perspectives, a Q&A with Nora Burns 
• 2024 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance ConferenceMarch 25-28 in Dallas, Texas
• The Leadership Experts
• DMEC