2019 DMEC Annual Conference: Strategies for Today’s Workforce

At the 2019 DMEC Annual Conference, attendees explored some of the top absence and disability management trends that continue to raise concerns for organizations of all sizes. Now more than ever, integrated absence management (IAM) professionals are challenged with understanding legal and policy developments at the local, state, and federal levels and developing strategies that meet employees’ needs, while adding value to the bottom line. Nearly 750 attendees gathered in Washington, D.C. to learn how to successfully navigate the factors driving workplace changes, including:

• greater awareness of and focus on employee wellness, including mental health:
• talent recruitment and retention in the tightest labor market in decades;
• younger and more diverse workers bringing different expectations, abilities, and awareness of legal rights;
• ongoing compliance requirements; and
• the continued growth and implementation challenges of paid leave laws.

Addressing Mental Health

Awareness of the challenges posed by mental and behavioral health issues has become mainstream in both the media and the workplace, and yet employers still grapple with developing successful programs to address this growing issue.

During the mental health preconference workshop on Monday, Aug. 5, speakers discussed how to build effective programs that address everything from PTSD to suicide prevention. They also explored the impact of these types of programs on absence, disability, and the bottom line, and shared how existing programs have successfully expanded awareness, education, and access to mental health resources.

Attendees also had an opportunity to join industry peers for a small-group discussion on challenges and best practices in mental health programs during Wednesday’s roundtable sessions.

Bidding Farewell

Marcia Carruthers opened the first full day of the conference and shared how DMEC has evolved over the last 27 years. The 2019 DMEC Annual Conference marks Carruthers’s final official event with the organization as she retires at the end of the year and passes the baton to incoming Board Chair Kevin Curry.

Through her creative and energetic leadership, DMEC pioneered the concept of “behavioral health” and greatly expanded education and networking opportunities for IAM professionals. Look for a special feature in the November issue of @Work magazine, which will highlight the legacy and ongoing impact of Carruthers’ work at DMEC.

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.