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2023 Healthcare and Wellness Issue

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November-December 2023

This issue of @Work magazine offers suggestions for how employers can encourage appropriate use of available leave to avoid and address burnout and ensure whole-person health, guidance for designing return-to-work pathways that minimize employee stress, practical approaches that help one employer support absence and disability managers, and more.

The CEO's Desk

Making Mental Health an Organizational Priority

Employers can help ensure that employees on leave return to work (RTW) as soon as they’re able to do so by building effective processes and acknowledging leave as an expected part of employment.

Managing Leave in the Era of Burnout and Quiet Quitting

Employers are starting to see the impact of burnout in their leave and time-off programs. To manage absences, including requests for intermittent leaves, employers are encouraged to respond with flexibility and empathy through programs and policies, culture, and more.

Returning from a Leave is Not Like Returning from PTO

Employers can help ensure that employees on leave return to work (RTW) as soon as they’re able to do so by building an effective process and acknowledging leave as part of the employment process. Learn how formal RTW programs can help employees return with a stronger feeling of connection.

Spotlight Articles

Program Showcase

Supporting a Resilient Workforce with Cross-Functional Collaboration

As more employers recognize the link between employee health and the bottom line, they seek programs that prioritize safety, healthy work design, and injury and illness protection. This type of holistic approach to worker health can help employers identify and understand trends and deploy targeted interventions.

Compliance Showcase

Using Compassionate Tools for Engagement

In addition to fielding more accommodation requests that are increasingly complex, integrated absence management teams are reporting increased emotional intensity from employees. University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics is tapping new resources to help team members refuel.

Expanded Perspectives:
@Work To Share

DMEC provides the following @Work magazine articles and podcast episodes to offer additional perspectives on and increase awareness of integrated absence management trends and challenges. The resources — available to members and nonmembers — can be shared with your colleagues and through social media channels.

Embracing a New Mindset to Safeguard Employee Health

We know the influence employers have when it comes to employee health and wellness. That knowledge informs benefit decisions and culture design as well as organizational absence and disability policies.

Optimizing Technology in Absence and Disability Management

Optimizing technology to streamline processes and improve compliance is a hot topic that comes with a hefty price tag. As more employers use technology to streamline absence and disability management processes, they must be strategic to avoid unintended legal consequences.

How to Create Mentally Healthier Work Environments

In a recent DMEC podcast, Paula Allen, global leader and senior vice president of research and client insights for TELUS Health, offers guidance and practical tips to help employers support mentally and physically healthy work environments. She shares additional context in this Q&A with DMEC.

Could Well-Intentioned Efforts to Protect Employees with Mental Health Issues Hurt More Than Help?

Employers can create mentally healthy workplaces. One key component is talking with employees about potential solutions to help reduce workload or stress instead of acting independently to protect them; actions that could be misconstrued and cause more harm than good. In this episode Paula Allen, global leader and senior vice president of Research and Client Insights for TELUS Health, offers insights and tips to help identify and mitigate mental health risks in the workplace.

Listen in

DMEC Podcast

PFML Puts States in Absence & Disability Management Business

It is increasingly important for employers to participate in policy conversations about state paid family and medical leave implementation to ensure their voices are heard, says Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI). Listen in for details about FAMLI, perspectives shared during a roundtable discussion Marshall facilitated during the 2023 DMEC Annual Conference, and more.

Listen in

Columns

Absence Matters

Reversing Course

How can employers assess environmental issues that affect managers’ health and design a culture where managers are expected to take time off? Could encouraging leaders to model a new way of working that protects physical as well as mental health be the first step?

Integrated Absence Management

Consider Diversity When Designing Benefits

Benefit offerings that address the diverse needs of the workforce support equity, inclusion, and belonging. How can employers recognize and incorporate diversity to tailor strategic benefit plans to the unique needs of diverse groups of employees?

Engaging Today’s Workforce

Why Employers Should Support Employee Health and Well-Being

Data shows that one in four employees is considering leaving their jobs because they are in toxic work environments, their jobs negatively affect their mental health, and they feel undervalued at work. How can employers turn this tide?

Employer Solutions

Injury Prevention: Finding the Right Fit for the Job

Planning for necessary learning curves is important for new hires, and ensuring they can perform essential functions is keeps them safe yet a high percentage of work-related injuries occur during the first year of employment. Learn what employers can do to mitigate this issue.

Common Sense Compliance

Related Risks with Employee Health and Wellness Programs

As more employers embrace wellness programs, they must also be aware of compliance-related risks. Get a few commonsense suggestions for how employers can encourage employee health and wellness and avoid legal risk.

Featured Case

Undue Hardship Defense Under the ADA

Do you know what constitutes an undue hardship when an employee asks for an accommodation that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act? Legal experts encourage employers to be careful in their evaluations and creative with suggested alternatives before using this defense.

Leave Technology

Budgeting for Leave and Accommodations Technology

What’s the best way for leave and disability managers to advocate for a human resources solution so they gain the buy-in needed for the software they want and need?

The Disabled Workforce

Requests for a “Boss-ectomy”

Psychological issues related to an employee’s ability to work with a certain person or supervisor can represent a true disability. It may entitle an employee to leave or accommodations covered under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act.

@Work

Editorial Staff

Editor: Heather Grimshaw
Editorial Advisory Group Members: Linda Croushore, Rebecca Fisco, Jenny Haykin, Terri Morris, Fred Schott, Jessica Thornton, and Lori Vickory

Editorial Policy

The goal of @Work is to present industry and Association news, highlight member achievements, and promote the exchange of specialized professional information. The statements and opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Association, its staff, board of directors, or its editors. Likewise, the appearance of advertisers does not constitute an endorsement of products or services featured in this, past, or subsequent issues of this publication. DMEC makes no representations, warranties, or assurances as to accuracy of the information contained in the articles, and no content herein is legal or tax advice. Consult appropriate professionals for legal or tax advice.

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2023 Healthcare and Wellness Issue

November-December 2023

The CEO's Desk

Feature Articles

Spotlight Articles

Program Showcase

Compliance Showcase

Expanded Perspectives: @Work To Share

DMEC Podcast

DMEC Podcast

Columns

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