Employers are in a tough position when it comes to whether they can (or should) test employees for marijuana use. A key question is what they learn from the tests, which are limited, and whether they're better served with investments in supervisor training to ensure safe work environments. Listen in to this dynamic conversation between Terri L. Rhodes, DMEC CEO, and Kathryn Russo, an attorney with Jackson Lewis P.C., who helps employers avoid legal potholes.

A story of rehabilitation and recovery from Long COVID: An employer representative, physical therapist, and employee share an inside look at what's working in Minnesota.

Hear one insider's perspective on how "total absence management" has evolved and now reflects responsibility for anything that affects employee productivity. "This is a whole new frontier," says Debby Kweller, an entrepreneur and long-time DMEC member. Get a bird's eye perspective on how the world of absence management has changed in the last 30 years, and the reason why this role is now in the spotlight for employers of all sizes.

Get the inside story about how DMEC was founded 30 years ago and the secrets to its ongoing success, which might surprise (and delight) you, from Terri Rhodes, CCMP, CLMS, CPDM, MBA, CEO, DMEC, and Marcia Carruthers, DMEC cofounder.

Employer investments in education and training lead to greater employee satisfaction and retention as well as stronger organizations overall, explains Kristin Jones, DMEC's director of education. Listen in to this episode for insights about how the world of education has changed and why employers need to invest as much in retention efforts as they do in recruitment to build and maintain loyalty.

While challenging to implement, paid family leave (PFL) and paid family and medical leave (PFML) laws provide employers with an opportunity to revise benefits and policies to ensure equity and fairness, and to attract and retain talent. Listen in to this episode as Terri L. Rhodes, DMEC chief executive officer, talks with Jessica Bolar, product manager for The Standard; and Regina Stringer, director of integrated absence management for Walmart about the challenges to tracking and implementing these laws as well as some of the silver linings they’ve seen.

Supporting mental health and wellness is a priority for employers that are seeing an increase in people dying from "diseases of despair." Dr. Dan Jolivet, a psychologist and workplace possibilities practice consultant for The Standard, offers practical tips and guidance for employers that want to invest in the mental health and wellness of their employees, and how they can measure success. He talks about trauma-informed care, peer groups, ways to prepare managers, and how to ensure that employees know about and access resources. This podcast expands on issues Dr. Jolivet covers in his @Work magazine article including trauma-informed management, which is a helpful tool as employees return to office environments after working remotely for years due to the pandemic.

Terri Rhodes, CEO of DMEC, discusses findings and trends illustrated by the 11th Annual DMEC Employer Leave Management Survey with Karen English, senior vice president of Spring Consulting, an Alera Group Company.

While there’s a common belief that electronic performance monitoring (EPM) can improve productivity, this podcast provides a human resources perspective on the technology while weighing its benefits and detriments. EPM can have significant benefits for employers “when used with a degree of balance,” explains Coy Hillstead, EdD, DMEC member, in this episode.

Listen in as Erin Ludy, director of absence management for Mercyhealth, shares the impressive work that earned her the DMEC Emerging Leader Award in 2021, the value of acknowledging the hard work that goes into creating successful absence management programs, and how she defines leadership.