Lincoln Absence Advisor

With everything going on it can be difficult to keep track of the latest compliance news as it relates to family and medical leave laws and regulations. Luckily, we’ve got you covered. In this episode, we hear from two Lincoln Financial Group employees Kristin Hostetter, Senior Product Managers for State Disability and Paid Family Leave and Trish Zuniga Compliance Consultant as they walk us through the latest compliance updates of 2020. During this conversation we discuss:

• The new PFL program launch in DC
• Changes to the NJ TDI program
• The new paid sick leave program in Colorado 
• News from the EEOC

Also, we invite you to check out the published version of the compliance update that is referenced during the episode. It can be downloaded here

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© 2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

This week we continue our conversation from our webinar, the ADA Link. In Part 2 of answering your questions on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Annie Jantz, product lead for accommodation services, and Melissa Michuda, return-to-work specialist, discuss some need-to-know topics, such as:

• What to consider in your return-to-work policy
• What it means to review accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis
• And how the interactive process is at the center of it all

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Lincoln’s Webinar - The ADA Link

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©2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

During our last webinar, the ADA Link, we received many questions from our audience—from general process questions to how COVID-19 interacts with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In part I of our two-part episode, we answer specific questions about the ADA in the current environment. Our guests Annie Jantz, Product Lead for Accommodation Services, and Melissa Michuda, Return-to-work Specialist, discuss questions like:

• Does ADA apply to return-to-workplace anxiety?
• Has COVID-19 created a new view of underlying health conditions?            
• And, simply, how does COVID-19 impact ADA?

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• CDC Coronavirus resources 
• EEOC Coronavirus resources 
• Lincoln’s Webinar - The ADA Link 

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©2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

The leave landscape is ever-changing. This year alone we’ve seen programs launch, programs we’re preparing for, and programs we are keeping an eye on. In this episode of Lincoln Absence Advisor, we’re joined by Trish Zuniga, Compliance Lead for leave regulation, Marissa Mayfield, Product Lead for Lincoln’s Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave program, and Kristen Hostetter, Product lead for Lincoln’s Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave program to share insights on the latest programs from Washington DC, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, such as:

• What these programs have in common
• What makes them unique
• What you should know about them right now

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© 2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

Living through these unprecedented times can be a challenge for many of us, but how do we adapt and remain resilient? In this episode of Lincoln Absence Advisor we are joined by Dan Eck, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor for ComPsych who focuses on mental health and in particular a background with resiliency training for employees. During this episode we:

• Define resiliency for all of us
• Share how to assess one’s own resilience and how to build on it
• Discuss back-to-the-workplace anxiety and how important resiliency is
• Dive into the role of the manager and leadership when it comes to resiliency

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©2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

With an economic environment that’s constantly changing, financial wellness is something that’s at the forefront of many American’s minds. In this episode, we’re joined by two members from our innovation team, Ashley Cader, Vice President of innovation, customer experience, and voice of the customer and Erin Melhuish, Innovation Consultant of the ideation team as we explore a 2019 study they performed as well as discuss:

• The importance of financial wellness: Why financial wellness is important given our current circumstances
• Employee’s financial stress: how do you assess your level of stress and how can it be decreased
• Financial wellness: How do you build your own financial wellness/resilience
• The assistance of insurance coverage and employer-offered benefits: How do certain insurance coverages and employer benefits play a role in an employee’s financial wellness
• Financial wellness education:  What can employers and employees do to keep themselves educated on financial tools to help build financial wellness 

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©2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

Our evolving economic environment has made many of us reassess our personal financial preparedness. For some, this reassessment may involve checking for potential gaps within their insurance coverage. One coverage that is often overlooked, but could fill the gap as well as encourage financial preparedness, is disability insurance. In this episode, Lincoln’s, Dr. David Berube, Chief Medical Officer for Group Protection, and Tony Stevens, Assistant Vice President of Disability Insurance Products, to talk about:

• Why disability coverage is often overlooked when selecting benefits
• How disability coverage can contribute to the idea of financial preparedness
• The importance of education when it comes to disability insurance

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© 2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

Many people returning to the workplace are dealing with stress and anxiety; this episode of Lincoln Absence Advisor discusses how managers can approach and support their employees as they make this transition. Lincoln Financial's Paula Aznavoorian-Barry, Manager of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, and Melissa Michuda, Return-to-Work Specialist, explore the importance of preparing managers to help employees—and making sure the managers also have support while handling their own stressors. Important topics include:

• Awareness of all the resources available to managers and employees, such as EAP programs and virtual trainings that cover key topics such as financial advising, stress management, and mental health
• The importance of open communication that reflects transparency and empathy, from leadership down to managers and supervisors
• Keeping in mind that every situation is different, and that an open mind is essential when addressing employees’ needs 

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© 2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.

Short-Term Disability coverage can provide a valuable source of income when someone is injured or ill and unable to work – and that safety net is more important than ever in light of the COVID-19 situation. In this episode of Lincoln Absence Advisor, Tracy Hendrickson, Director of Operational Initiatives for Group Protection, discusses:

• The benefits of disability insurance as they relate to COVID-19
• How disability insurance works in relation to COVID-19
• The importance of disability given our current environment and as we look towards the future

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© 2023 Lincoln National Corporation. All rights reserved.