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 Tasha Patterson at tpatterson@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

Minnesota Legislature Passes Significant Employee Leave Laws

June 1, 2023Minnesota is now the 12th state to adopt a statewide program providing compensation to employees during family and medical leaves. It also joined the over 40 state and local jurisdictions mandating employer paid sick leave.

DMEC Names Incoming Chief Executive Officer

June 1, 2023DMEC Names Incoming Chief Executive Officer The Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), which serves more than 18,000 absence and disability management professionals in the U.S. and Canada, has named Bryon ... Read More

Webinar Recording: COVID-19 and the Downstream Impacts of Delayed Care

May 25, 2023While the United States has returned to a new normal, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt by employers. Many organizations have returned to hybrid or normal ... Read More

Voting and Sick Leave for Georgia Employees

May 24, 2023A new Georgia law takes effect on July 1, 2023 (GA S 129) and provides employees time off to advance vote in primaries and elections. The Georgia legislature, with sign off from Governor Brian Kemp, also recently voted to repeal the sunset provision relating to use of sick leave for care of immediate family members.

DOL Pumps It Up With New Guidance on PUMP Act Enforcement

May 23, 2023The U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division (WHD) published Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2023-02 providing guidance to agency officials responsible for enforcement of the “pump at work” provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) including those recently enacted under the 2022 PUMP Act.

Puerto Rico Five-Day Paid Leave for COVID-19 Ends

May 18, 2023The governor of Puerto Rico has issued Executive Order No. OE-2023-012, ending the state of emergency declared in 2020 due to the pandemic caused by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and repealing multiple Executive Orders issued to adopt preventive measures because of COVID-19.

New Executive Order Relieves Federal Contractors From Safer Federal Workforce Requirements

May 18, 2023As anticipated, President Joe Biden has rescinded the COVID-19 safety requirements for federal contractors in connection with the declared end of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the World Health Organization determination that COVID-19 is no longer a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Webinar Recording: Playing the Long Game – How to Keep Employees at Work

May 18, 2023Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic began, employers are looking differently at their role in returning employees to, or keeping them at, work when a serious health condition arises. One ... Read More

Webinar Recording: Time Away from Work Trends

May 17, 2023Employers across all industries are scrambling to stay competitive and keep up with the latest leave and time off trends. In this session, attendees learned what other employers are doing ... Read More

EEOC Revises its COVID-19 Guidance, Again

May 17, 2023In response to the end of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration, the EEOC updated its COVID-19 technical assistance: “What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws”.

Maryland Modifies, Delays Implementation of Its Paid Leave Program

May 17, 2023Maryland Governor Wes Moore has signed an amendment (Senate Bill 828) modifying the 2022 law that established the state’s paid leave system, the Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Program.

Ending of Federally Mandated COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements and Public Health Emergency

May 5, 2023The Biden-Harris Administration has announced that, at the end of the day on May 11, 2023, it will end COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees, federal contractors, and international air travelers. The COVID-19 public health emergency also will end on the same day.

Idaho Enacts New Coronavirus Vaccination Law

April 28, 2023Under new legislation coined the “Coronavirus Stop Act,” employers doing business in the state of Idaho may no longer require a coronavirus vaccination as a term of employment unless required by federal law or where the terms of employment include travel to foreign jurisdictions requiring vaccination.

Webinar Recording: FMLA Experts on Speed Dial

April 27, 2023Have you ever wanted to have an FMLA expert on speed dial? Are you stumped by a specific FMLA scenario or question? What would it be like to have your ... Read More

Webinar Recording: Making the Human Touch Matter – Automation in Claims

April 26, 2023With employers representing all sizes and industries striving to improve employee experience and outcomes, you likely find yourself wondering how to add value to the claims process and ensure every ... Read More

Gig Workers Get New Protections in Washington

April 26, 2023New laws in Seattle and Washington State allow certain gig workers greater access to traditional employee benefits.

Virginia Law Mandating Unpaid Organ Donor Leave Goes Into Effect July 2023

April 20, 2023Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a law on April 12, 2023, mandating employers provide unpaid organ donor leave. When the law goes into effect on July 1, 2023, Virginia will join nearly 20 other states that require employers to provide medical donor leave.

Webinar Recording: Navigating the Intersection of Paid Leave and Disability Plans

April 12, 2023Between family medical leave, short-term disability (STD), and more states passing paid family and medical leave programs (PFML), employers face a complex web of absence benefits that they must manage ... Read More

Webinar Recording: Facts and Trends – Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace

April 11, 2023With so many different laws and benefits now covering maternity, parental, and caregiving leaves, employers are challenged to meet their obligations to protect pregnant, nursing, and working caregivers. In this ... Read More

2022 DMEC Absence Plan Design and Practices Benchmarking Report

March 30, 2023The 2022 benchmarking report — which features plan design data for workers’ compensation, short-term disability, long-term disability, the Family and Medical Leave Act, paid leave, time off, and other company ... Read More

Webinar Recording: An Updated Look at State PFML

March 15, 2023Approximately one third of the U.S. population lives in a state that has enacted paid family and medical leave laws (PFML). This means that employers need to be informed about ... Read More

San Francisco Issues Implementation Guidance for Military Leave Pay Protection Act

March 10, 2023On Feb. 19, 2023, San Francisco’s Private Sector Military Leave Pay Protection Act took effect. The ordinance requires covered employers to provide supplemental pay to an employee while on leave for military duty for up to 30 days in a calendar year.

Federal Court Strikes Down Amendments to Puerto Rico Employment Law Reform

March 10, 2023Less than a year after its enactment, a federal district court has declared null and void Puerto Rico Act 41-2022, a law that rolled back parts of the 2017 employment law reform. Accordingly, the 2017 Puerto Rico employment law reform is back in full force.

Bloomington and St. Paul’s Sick and Safe Time Ordinances Get Updates

March 1, 2023Responding to increased attention to worker protections promoting public health and safety, both Bloomington’s and St. Paul’s City Councils recently unanimously approved amendments to their Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Ordinances.

Webinar Recording: FMLA Administration in the Digital Age

February 28, 2023Technology is present in all aspects of our lives, and that includes accessing and administering the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). But how does the transition to online leave ... Read More