Agenda
Agenda
Accommodation and leave management professionals are responsible for building compliant programs for federal laws, including the FMLA, ADA, as well as paid and unpaid state leave laws. Complex questions arise daily that require thoughtful solutions to support employees and mitigate risk. Get the information you need to ensure success during the 2026 DMEC Compliance Conference April 13-16, 2026, at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, MO.
We will explore legal hot-topics and analyze various pregnancy/childbirth-related leave laws, how to ensure compliance with a compassionate approach, workplace accommodations, and more! Join us and untangle the complexities of compliance.
Monday
April 13, 2026
8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Registration Open
10:00 – 11:30 am
First-Time Attendee Orientation
12:30 – 12:45 pm
Welcome & Opening Remarks
Bryon Bass, Chief Executive Officer, DMEC
12:45 – 1:45 pm
Opening KEYNOTE (General Session 1) – Joel Zeff
1:45 – 2:45 pm
Concurrent Sessions
- Keynote Speaker Breakout Session (J Zeff)
Perception vs Reality: Exploring Mental Health Parity in Long-Term Disability (Sun Life)
Mandated PFML –State or private plan? Helping employers understand and analyze their options. (The Hartford)
- Creating a Common Sense and Compassionate Leave Strategy (OneDigital)
12:45 – 1:45 pm
PM Break – Meet and Greet with Joel Zeff
3:15 – 4:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions
- Managing Intermittent Leave Misuse: Practical Strategies for Employers (Sedgwick)
- Man vs. Machine: AI Edition (FINEOS)
- Leave for Good: Debunking Mental Health Leaves of Absence (Compsych)
- Managing ADA Requests Amid the Return-to-Office Shift (Unum)
4:15 – 4:45 pm
Coffee & Conversation Break
4:45 – 5:45 pm
General Session 2
FMLA & ADA Case Law Update: A Year in Review! (Littler)
5:45 – 7:00 pm
Opening Welcome Reception
Evening Open (Sponsor Events)
Tuesday
April 14, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast with Exhibitors
9:00 – 10:00 am
General Session 3
The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: Compliance, Challenges, and Change (Jackson Lewis)
10:00 – 10:45 am
Coffee & Conversation Break with Exhibitors
10:45 – 11:45 am
Workshops
- Are You Smarter Than a Leave Administrator (The Partners Group)
- Military Leave & USERRA: Compliance Without Confusion (Alight)
- Back-to-Office Hot Seat: Live ADA Role-Plays for Real-World Wins (New York Life Group Benefit Solutions)
- FMLA: Notifications, Certifications, Recertifications and Second Opinions: How to Build an Effective Process (Reliance Matrix)
11:45 - 1:15 pm
Lunch with Exhibitors
1:15 – 2:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions and Quick Dives
- One Paid Leave Policy to Rule Them All – Or Not (Seyfarth Shaw)
- Reasonable or Unreasonable? That is the ADA Question. (The Standard)
- Statutory State PFML Laws: Coordination, Compliance, and Pitfalls (ShelterPoint)
1. How to Master Statutory Compliance in Your Organization (Pacific Resources)
2. Workplace Engagement When an Employee Faces Crime or Violence (Littler)
2:30 - 3:15 pm
Dessert Break with Exhibitors
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Bonus Education Session
Medical Inquiries and Documentation Requests under FMLA, PWFA, and ADA! (Reliance Matrix)
4:00 – 4:15 pm
Break
4:15 – 5:15 pm
General Session
From Compliance to Culture: A Modern Framework for Supporting Neurodiversity and Well-being (ThynkStack)
5:30 - 6:30 pm
Happy Hour with Exhibitors
Evening Open (Sponsor Events)
Wednesday
April 15, 2026
8:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast with Exhibitors
9:00 – 10:00 am
General Session
Fireside Chat panel with State Policymakers – DMEC
10:00 – 10:45 am
Coffee & Conversation Break with Exhibitors
10:45 – 11:45 am
Concurrent Sessions and Quick Dives
- Enhancing Efficiency and Compliance: Co-Sourcing State Paid Leave Programs (Prudential)
- ADA Pitfalls: Common Mistakes You’re Probably Making (and How to Fix Them!) (Disclo)
- Strategies for Reducing Risk in Complex Leave Scenarios (Trupp HR)
- 1. Making the Business Case for Centralized LOA Management (Marsh)
2. Scaling Breakthrough Mental Health Benefits to Reduce Disability Claims (Enthea)
11:45 - 1:15 pm
Lunch with Exhibitors
1:15 – 2:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions
- PFML Peculiarities –Parsing the Plethora of Unique PFML Provisions (Spring Majesco)
- Beyond Compliance: Voc Rehab’s Role in ADA Accommodation Success (Leave Management Solutions/HRM Consulting)
- The Hot Topic of Menopause and Mental Health (Guardian)
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence in Absence & Disability Administration (Prudential, Sequoia Port, EvolutionIQ)
2:15 – 3:00 pm
Dessert Break with Exhibitors (45 mins) – Prize Giveaway Announcements
3:00 – 4:00 pm
Bonus Education
Claim & Order: From FAQ to Verdict (MetLife)
4:00 – 4:15 pm
Break
4:15 – 5:15 pm
General Session
Your Biggest ADA Risk: Supervisors! How to Train to Be an Asset, Not Risk to A Compliant ADA Program (Shaw)
Evening Open (Sponsor Events)
Thursday
April 16, 2026
7:30 – 8:30 am
Breakfast
8:30 – 9:30 am
General Session
Emerging Trends in Paid Sick Leave (PSL) (Marsh and McLennan Agency- Absence Disability and Life)
9:30 – 10:30 am
General Session
When You Can’t Say Yes: Managing Hard Accommodation Decisions (AbsenceSoft)
