2023 DMEC Virtual Annual Conference

11:15 am-12:15 pm ET – Navigating Confusing & Complex Pregnancy Leave and Accommodation Legal Requirements

The most frequent leave and accommodation requests employers receive are for pregnancy and childbirth. There are many state and local laws that create both express and implied obligations to provide leave and accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions. In this session, we will review the complex legal requirements — including conflicting decisions — that employers must navigate when evaluating accommodations and leave for birth mothers and other new parents.

Speakers:
Marti Cardi, Esq, Senior Compliance Consultant, Reliance Matrix
Marjory Robertson, JD, AVP & Senior Counsel, Sun Life

12:30-1:30 pm ET – A Mental Health Culture Shift: Addressing It from the Top Down

Mental health solutions are not a one size fits all. Through assessments and awareness campaigns, organizations can better address mental health needs from the executive level to individual employees. Leveraging experience in the market with leading mental well-being providers, we will discuss best practices for determining the right strategies to address mental health for your workforce.

Speakers:
Paula Allen, Bsc, DCS, Global Leader and SVP, Research and Client Insights, TELUS Health
Adrita Bhattacharya-Craven, MSc, Director, Health & Ageing, The Geneva Association
Joe Grasso, PhD, Senior Director of Workforce Transformation, Lyra Health

Moderator:
Dan Iskra, MBA, AVP, Group Products, MetLife

Join your peers and industry experts for roundtable discussions on hot topics in the industry. Share challenges, opportunities, and best practices from your organization.

DEIB In the Workplace
Mental Health & Well-Being
Pregnancy Leave & Accommodations

In this session, we will take you through an employee’s full leave lifecycle through a dynamic role-play scenario that includes the HR team, benefits department, the supervisor, and the employee. We’ll cover various issues that arise in leave and accommodation requests, and potential missteps along the way.

Speakers:
Tara K. Burke, JD, Knowledge Management Attorney for Disability Leave and Health Management Practices Group, Jackson Lewis PC
Katharine C. Weber, JD, Principal, Jackson Lewis PC

It’s not uncommon for discussions between employees and employers, and ultimately decision-making, to get emotional when it comes to reasonable accommodations. However, there is a way to diffuse these situations. Keep actions and conversations focused on data — including facts on what the employee is medically capable of doing and on what the employee is required to do. While collecting data and having parties agree on essential functions is vital, getting clear medical information from healthcare providers is more difficult. In this session, we’ll discuss how to handle vague medical reports and accommodation recommendations and unclear restrictions. We’ll also explore how to create better medical questionnaires to get the information you need to make sound reasonable accommodation decisions.

Speaker:
Rachel Shaw, MBA, President, Shaw HR Consulting

Psychedelic medicine innovations are all over the media, and the Federal Drug Administration is expected to approve psychedelic therapies for PTSD treatment in 2023 or 2024. Based on the strength of treatment success for ketamine-assisted psychotherapy, some states have begun developing regulations and guidelines. In this session, we’ll review an evidence-based perspective on emerging treatment options and discuss the opportunities and barriers to approving and paying for this treatment for PTSD and other work-related mental health disorders.

Speaker:
Michael M. Coupland, RPsych, VP, Occupational Health, Stella