Jeni Hoyt

Mental health conditions in the workplace are often perceived as individual obstacles. But the truth is they are organizational concerns with significant economic implications that integrated absence management (IAM) professionals can mitigate. For example, adjusting mental health accommodations can result in fewer disability claims and shorter return-to-work durations. And considering that more than one in five working-age adults have diagnosable mental health disorders1 that cost employers billions of dollars annually, it will be increasingly important to find and test solutions to help employees stay at work or return as soon as possible.1

Too often employers assume that they are immune from a Department of Labor (DOL) audit for practices related to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) because of size, location, or market segment. But the DOL has stepped up audits under the current administration,1 and complacency can be expensive.