Conferences & Webinars
Virtual Conference
2025 DMEC Virtual Compliance Conference
Event Overview
Stay connected and gain valuable insights! For those unable to attend the in-person conference, DMEC is hosting a virtual conference on June 4, 2025. This engaging one-day event features five of the highest-rated sessions from the in-person conference, a Lunch & Learn presented by ThynkStack, bonus educational content, and opportunities to connect with peers virtually all from the convenience of your own space.
Register by May 11 for a chance to win a free Microcredential course or a CLMS certification course.
Virtual Conference Registration Fees
To receive member pricing, you must have a current individual or organization membership or purchase a membership at the time of registration.
Registration Fees
$229 – Member
$289 – Nonmember
Agenda
11:00-11:15 am ET
Welcome & Overview
Speaker:
Kristin Jones, CLMS, PHR, SHRM-CP, Director, Education Programs, DMEC
11:15 am-12:15 pm ET
FMLA/ADA: Year in Review
As courts and government agencies issue new and sometimes more generous interpretations of laws governing the workplace, change and challenge continue to be the name of the game for absence and disability management professionals. This session will present recent decisions from courts interpreting the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), as well as legislative and agency developments. Attendees will explore how these developments may offer new ideas to address some of the most difficult leave and accommodation situations in 2025 and beyond.
Speaker:
Jaclyn L. Kugell, Esq, Partner, Morgan, Brown and Joy, LLP
12:15-12:30 pm ET
Break
12:30-1:00 pm ET
Lunch & Learn
Session Description Coming Soon!
Speaker:
Coming Soon!
Courtesy of ThynkStack
1:00 - 1:15 pm ET
Break
1:15 - 2:15 pm ET
Do You Know What Your Managers Know When It Comes to Complying with FMLA, ADA, and PWFA?
Managers and supervisors are often the first line of communication for an employee who needs a leave. This requires managers to have some basic knowledge of leave laws, especially the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), American with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). This session will explore the key training areas that will empower managers to support their employees and remain in compliance. Attendees will learn tips on how to keep managers engaged and informed so they are ready when one of their employees needs to take leave. This session will be interactive and allow the audience to answer specific questions to gauge their own level of knowledge on FMLA, ADA, and PWFA.
Speakers:
Angela Eskandar, CRC, Senior Consultant, Marsh McLennan Agency
Jim Jantz, JD, Director of Compliance, Marsh McLennan Agency
2:15 - 2:30 pm ET
Break
2:30-3:30 pm ET
Walking the Talk: Creating Equity in Your Leave Program
Implementing an equitable benefits program helps demonstrate a company’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Yet how do employers balance successful administration of their leave programs with growing state disability and paid family and medical leave (PFML) mandates? By mid-2026, 13 states and the District of Columbia are expected to have PFML programs in place. This means employers need to carefully consider a range of factors when creating compliant and equitable leave programs that span state lines.
In this session, attendees will learn which leave benefits are most significant to employees, determine which programs to maintain and which to potentially cut, recognize how company policies can be coordinated with state PFML programs, and identify the key considerations necessary when developing company-sponsored leaves. Focusing on these critical areas will ensure employers are creating leave policies that are fair, supportive, and responsive to the needs of all employees.
Speaker:
Jessica Bolar, Senior Product Manager, PFML, The Standard
3:30-3:45 pm ET
Break
3:45-4:45 pm ET
Top 8 FMLA Compliance Issues You Should Fix Right Now
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) can be a huge trap for unwary employers. Thorny issues include recognizing an employee’s notice of the need for FMLA leave, tricky medical certification issues, unplanned intermittent leave taken on a moment’s notice, and suspicions of FMLA misuse. No wonder employment counsel and human resources professionals everywhere regularly identify leaves of absence as the most difficult workplace benefit to administer and a constant compliance nightmare. But it need not be this complicated, and employers do not have to fight through these issues alone. Through case studies, polling, and perhaps even a little humor, attendees will learn about the most difficult FMLA compliance issues and practical solutions so employers and third-party administrators can minimize risk and maximize compliance with the law.
Speaker:
Matt Morris, Vice President, Absence and Accommodation Compliance, FMLASource, ComPsych Corporation
Jeff Nowak, Esq, Shareholder, Littler
Bonus Education
I’m Stressed! Managing Psychological Disability Claims in the Workplace
Accommodations for stress-related psychological disabilities are on the rise. This presentation will provide an understanding of the Americans with Disabilities Act as it relates to psychological disability compliance. Attendees will receive a step-by-step, how-to guide for implementing the disability interactive process. Practical and field-tested, the guide includes templates, samples, and scripts that will support employers in making reasonable accommodation decisions.
Speakers:
Rachel Shaw, MBA, President, Shaw HR Consulting
Continuing Education
The 2025 DMEC Virtual Compliance Conference is a great way to maintain your credentials and earn continuing education credit. Attendees of the 2025 DMEC Virtual Compliance Conference can earn up to five (5) continuing education hours for the conference program agenda. Please check the final event information for approval status and credit hours available.
DMEC has applied for continuing education for the following certifications and professional designations.
- ADMS (Associated Disability Management Specialist)
- CA-BRN (California Board of Registered Nursing (and reciprocal states)
- CCM (Certified Case Manager)
- CDMS (Certified Disability Management Specialist)
- CLMS (Certified Leave Management Specialist)
- CPDM (Certified Professional in Disability Management)
- PHR/SPHR (Professional/Senior Professional in HR)
- SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP (SHRM Certified Professional/Senior Certified Professional)
DMEC is a pre-approved provider of continuing education credits for the certifications above. In addition, DMEC conferences attendees are encouraged to download and submit their certificate of attendance to other certifying organizations for credit consideration. In most cases, DMEC’s conferences will be approved for continuing education credit.
Looking for CRC Credits through the commission on rehabilitation counselor certification (CRCC)?
Download instructions on how to submit your certificate of attendance for credit consideration.
COURTESY OF
Register Today
We are offering a single registration option that allows access to all live sessions, the bonus recorded session, and networking as well as on-demand access to the session recordings post-event. Registration closes at 9:00 am ET on Wednesday, Sept. 18.
Registration Fees
$329 – Member
$389 – Nonmember
DMEC members receive discounted pricing for the event. Not sure if your organization is a member? Follow these steps to add your company affiliation and verify your DMEC membership status. Or contact us at info@dmec.org or 800.789.3632, ex. 101.
If you are not currently a DMEC member, you can sign up for a membership before registering for the event, or you can add a membership to your cart, along with the conference registration, to receive the member pricing.
