Media - Employee Absence

Media Requests

To arrange interviews with industry experts, request access to white papers and case studies, or to register for one of our events, please contact Jennifer Blankenship at jblankenship@dmec.org or 800.789.3632, ext. 102.

The Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) is a non-profit organization founded in 1992 dedicated to providing absence and disability professionals with ongoing support and the latest information, tools, and resources organizations need to minimize employee lost work time, improve staff productivity, and maintain legally compliant absence and disability management programs. We can connect members of the media with top experts in the integrated absence management field.

Latest DMEC News and Events

Duluth, Minnesota Repeals Its Paid Leave Ordinance; Other City Ordinances Remain

April 12, 2024Leave laws, regulations, and ordinances continue to change in Minnesota. The city of Duluth, Minnesota, repealed its Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) ordinance effective Jan. 17, 2024.

What Employers Should Know About the Latest CDC COVID-19 Guidance

March 8, 2024It has been almost exactly four years since the COVID-19 pandemic changed the American working landscape. Many of us followed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through multiple changes and guidance, including from no mask, to mask, to no mask.

Webinar Recording: Results of the 2023 Leave Management Survey

March 8, 2024As leave management grows in complexity, so do the questions plaguing absence and disability professionals. If you’ve ever wondered about the leave benefits offered by others in your industry, or ... Read More

Webinar Recording: Building an Equitable and Compliant Accommodations Program

March 6, 2024New laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), the long-term effects of COVID-19, and numerous other factors are driving an increase in requests for workplace accommodations. A recent survey ... Read More

Congress Violated U.S. Constitution When It Passed Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, Texas Court Rules

February 29, 2024Congress improperly passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, including the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), a federal court in Texas has ruled. State of Texas v. Department of Justice et al., No. 5:23-cv-00034 (N.D. Tex. Feb. 27, 2024). The court permanently enjoined the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and Department of Justice from enforcing the PWFA against the State of Texas and its agencies.

Webinar Recording: Through the Lens – The Landscape of PFML

February 29, 2024Now that Colorado and Oregon have active paid family and medical leave programs, and with paid family and medical leave becoming a reality in four more states in the coming ... Read More

St. Paul Issues New Guidance For Employers Complying with the City’s Earned Sick and Safe Time Ordinance

February 21, 2024Continuing the wave of new rules and regulations related to paid leave in Minnesota, on Jan. 8, 2024, the St. Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity (HREEO) issued guidance on its interpretation of St. Paul’s Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Ordinance. St. Paul revised its ESST Ordinance in October 2023 to align with Minnesota’s ESST law, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2024

D.C. Employers Must Comply With Paid Family Leave Notice Requirement

January 29, 2024The D.C. Department of Employment Services (DOES) has issued a new Paid Family Leave notice/poster. This notice must be posted in a “conspicuous place”, such as where the employer posts employment-related information, and must be provided to employees, on or before Feb. 1, 2024.

Guidance Interpreting Minnesota’s New Earned Sick and Safe Time Law

January 29, 2024Minnesota’s statewide paid sick and safe leave mandate, the Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) law, went into effect Jan. 1, 2024. The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has posted answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ Guide) that it revised on Dec. 4, 2023.

Philadelphia’s COVID-19 Sick Leave Law Expires

January 22, 2024Philadelphia’s COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave law expired on Dec. 31, 2023. As a result, as of Jan. 1, 2024, employers are no longer required to provide additional paid sick leave to employees when they are absent for certain COVID-19 reasons.

DMEC Welcomes Jennifer Blankenship as Vice President of Operations

January 19, 2024DMEC Welcomes Jennifer Blankenship as Vice President of Operations San Diego, CA – The Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), which serves more than 19,000 absence and disability management professionals in ... Read More

Massachusetts Updates Paid Family and Medical Leave Poster, Notice, Contribution and Benefit Amounts

January 18, 2024The Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave has released an updated version of its workplace poster for 2024 reflecting the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) contribution and benefit increases that went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.

Webinar Recording: The Managers’ Impact on FMLA/ADA Compliance

January 17, 2024Despite an organization’s best intentions, it only takes one untrained manager to cause a Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) related lawsuit. With new ... Read More

City of Pittsburgh to Strictly Enforce Paid Sick Days Ordinance, Investigate Food Service Industry

January 12, 2024The City of Pittsburgh’s Office of Equal Protection (OEP) has announced that it will begin strict enforcement and compliance checks for local businesses to ensure they are complying with their obligations under the Pittsburgh Paid Sick Days Act (Ordinance). The “compliance campaign” will focus on the food services industry.

Updated Rates for California EDD Benefits and San Francisco Paid Parental Leave Ordinance for 2024

January 12, 2024The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has released the 2024 Voluntary Plan Employee Contribution and Benefit Rate.

Cook County, Illinois, Replaces Earned Sick Leave Ordinance With Paid Leave Ordinance

January 4, 2024For Illinois employers, the new year brings a variety of new paid leave laws, the most recent being the Cook County Paid Leave Ordinance passed by the Cook County Board of Commissioners on Dec. 14, 2023.

When Will the Ball Drop? Still Waiting on the PWFA Final Regulations

January 4, 2024We rang in the new year waiting and watching for the issuance of the EEOC’s final regulations implementing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) received the text of the final regulations for review on December 27. Assuming that the EEOC’s final regulations clear this review, we expect the regulations to be published in the Federal Register soon.

Q1 2024 Legal Updates

January 3, 2024On Jan. 1, 2024, California’s Senate Bill (SB) 616 takes effect, increasing the amount of paid sick leave employers are required to provide to California employees.

The City of San Diego Releases Guidance on Compliance with State and Local Paid Sick Leave

December 22, 2023On Jan. 1, 2024, California’s Senate Bill (SB) 616 takes effect, increasing the amount of paid sick leave employers are required to provide to California employees.

California Labor Commissioner Publishes Updated FAQ for California Paid Sick Leave

December 22, 2023In October, California passed Senate Bill (SB) 616, which increases the amount of paid sick leave employers are required to provide to California employees.