By Terri Rhodes, CLMS, CCMP, CPDM, MBA

CEO
DMEC

Or should this column be titled, “I Love my Technology; I Hate my Technology?” I think that most days we have that love/hate relationship with our phones, computers, TVs, watches, or whichever device we are using.

Five decades ago, science fiction warned us about the day of reckoning when computers could learn and make decisions independently. Many of us remember when HAL, the computer, seized command of a space ship in “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

Today, we have Google, SIRI, and Alexa that answer our questions about traffic, weather, sport statistics, recipes, and more. We have navigation apps that provide directions, tell us what areas to avoid due to heavy traffic or accidents, where police are located, and when we have gone the wrong way. I am sure many of you have experienced the “re-routing” or “make a U-turn when possible” commands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is embedded in our lives, whether we like it or not. So, it makes sense that AI has made its way into absence management as well. These programs have decision trees for leave eligibility, can spot trends and adjust algorithms that drive business decisions, and answer or escalate questions that come into chat programs or phone systems.

Given these advances, are we about to be kicked off the ship? Not quite yet.

Full content is available to DMEC members only.

to view the complete resource.

If you are not a DMEC member, we encourage you to join. DMEC members have access to white papers, case studies, @Work magazine articles, free webinars, legislative updates, and much more. These resources will assist you in building an effective and compliant integrated absence management program, saving you time, resources, and money. Learn more.

If you are being asked to log in more than once, please refresh your browser.