Technology can be a valuable asset for absence and disability management professionals, who align expectations among team members and build plans for reasonable goals. Learn how to make the most of technology in this podcast episode that elaborates on concepts shared in the Technology & Innovation issue of DMEC’s @Work magazine. We’ve unlocked the column “Integration Technology 101: Master the Basics for a Better Leave Experience” so listeners get the full story. Resources

Hear how employers can encourage employees to show up as their “whole selves” at work, create supportive environments, and recognize the value of lived experience. One key: Be honest about failures, share details about goals, and always be transparent, advises Jamira Burley, an award-winning social impact advisor and strategic initiatives lead for worldwide education at a large technology company. Burley is the keynote speaker for the 2023 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference. Her presentation “Fearlessly Authentic: The Story of Self”

What’s the best way to protect employers and provide for employees who are pregnant? “Avoid lawsuits,” advises Marjory Robertson, Esq., assistant vice president and senior counsel for Sun Life, in this episode of Absence Management Perspectives: A DMEC Podcast. The topic is especially timely with new legislation that requires employers with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees. The issue of how (and whether) to accommodate pregnant workers could get easier for employers once the Pregnant

Tracking the growing number of “safe leave” laws, an umbrella term that applies to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking laws, could be a full-time job for human resources and absence management specialists, say legal experts from Matrix Absence Management, who provide resources and guidance in this episode. Resources

Employers get a unique and valuable insider perspective on how they can encourage a feeling of belonging in their workplaces, and how those efforts lead to more collaborative environments that tap into the rich experiences and differences of employees. Get insights into how differences make teams stronger and more resilient and ways (and resources) to encourage open and honest dialogue, embrace differences, and build stronger relationships. Resources

Confronted with massive change and instability, savvy employers will focus on people skills and the core tenets of what leadership means, says Debra Dupree, Psy.D., chief executive officer of Relationships At Work. An absence management consultant and mediation specialist, Dupree recommends that employers invest more in training and education for managers to ensure their actions align with the organization’s mission, vision, and values, and that they update policies and procedures to be more inclusive. Read the Q&A in the Healthcare