2026 Integrated Absence Management Issue

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June - August 2026

Integrated absence management has never been more complex, or more consequential. This issue of @Work magazine explores what it takes to stay ahead: navigating a patchwork of 16 PFML jurisdictions with conflicting rules, closing compliance gaps before the ADA claims that expose them, and rethinking workplace flexibility as return-to-office mandates quietly drive absences higher. Learn how health and productivity dashboards are replacing fragmented reporting, what safety science can teach disability managers about preventing claims upstream, and why weather is now a workforce risk every employer needs to plan for. In today’s environment, successful organizations don’t just manage absence. They build the integrated programs, empathetic leadership, and proactive compliance practices that keep employees at work and support them when they can’t be.

The CEO's Desk

From the CEO’s desk 

DMEC’s job is to stay ahead of that curve and pull our members along with us. That means practical education grounded in what practitioners actually need, tools that work in real organizational environments, and a community where professionals can find both answers and each other.

Are PFML Laws Still Coming in a Tidal Wave?

For the last eight years, states have been passing PFML laws in wave upon wave. Contributions for D.C. Universal Paid Leave, Massachusetts, and Washington began in 2019; in 2020 it was benefits in D.C. and Washington. 2021 saw benefits in

Managing Weather-Related Health Risks: Best Practices for Employers from Agriculture

Severe weather is not just an environmental issue, impacting a few industries. Increasingly, it is a workplace issue—and not just where work is performed outside. As employers provide safe, hazard-free workplaces and training to prevent illnesses and injuries1, this responsibility

What We Do Matters – Compliance and the ADAAA

In our profession managing the disability cases of our employees and the impact to our organization, we are responsible for a successful outcome that supports our employees and advances the operational needs of our organization.

The Disability Compliance Audit: Why Your Organization’s Program Needs a Health Check

Most organizations assume their disability accommodation processes are legally sound. Policies are in place, managers have been trained, and HR has handled requests before without incident. It feels like the system works—until a lawsuit proves otherwise.

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.

2026 Trends

Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota just launched paid family and medical leave. More states are coming. Is your program ready?

Paid family and medical leave (PFML) used to mean one or two states. Today it means 16 jurisdictions, each running its own program on its own timeline. Delaware, Maine, and Minnesota all launched benefits in 2026. Virginia just became the first Southern state to pass mandatory PFML, with contributions starting in 2028. More than a dozen additional states have active legislation under consideration.

Columns

Featured Case

Looking Upstream: What Disability Management Can Learn from Safety Science

In disability and absence management, we tend to sort workplace health problems into neat boxes. On-the-job injuries belong to workers’ compensation, and Risk Management determines how they’re handled. All other issues land in the “non-occ” disability bucket, which is typically overseen by Human Resources. And there, the primary diagnosis code drives how the claim is managed.

Employer Solutions

Empathy as the Glue: Leading Cross-Functional Teams Through Change

Integrated disability and absence management (IDAM) promises efficiency and better employee experiences, but it can fail fast if we overlook the human factor. Change is hard. Resistance is natural. The real question is: how do we lead people through it?

Engaging Today’s Workforce

Optimizing ROI Through Health & Productivity Dashboards

Organizations often attempt to track and monitor the health trends of their employees through regular and/or ad-hoc reports and spreadsheets. While this can be a useful way to see some overall trends, there is little customizability and can require ongoing work to maintain. In an effort to improve efficiency and utility, some organizations are opting to consolidate their data into health and productivity dashboards that provide nearly real-time data in a centralized visualization tool.

Absence Matters

Integrated Absence Management – Dealing with Certification Requirements

While often not discussed, one of the main challenges with creating an integrated absence management program centers around certification requirements. While employers and claimants often ask for a simple unified claim form, the reality is that when you manage multiple benefits, they often have different certification requirements that make this difficult.

The Disabled Workforce

Thinking Outside the Box to Reduce Leave

Absenteeism remains one of the biggest pain points for organizations today. The yearly cost of employee absenteeism has been estimated to exceed $600 billion1 in the U.S. alone, driven by lost productivity, temporary staffing expenses, overtime pay, and the administrative burden of managing unplanned leave. While some absenteeism is unavoidable, its growing frequency and impact signal a deeper challenge within modern workplaces.

DMEC News

New research, smarter tools, and practical resources, explore the latest insights on leave management, mental health trends, and policy support for today’s workforce.

Legislative and Paid Sick Leave Updates

Check out the latest federal, state, and local compliance updates on the DMEC Legislative Updates page, and don’t miss new updates on paid sick leave that have been introduced through a variety of state and local regulations. It is essential for employers to remain informed about ongoing changes in order to effectively adapt. And follow DMEC on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn for additional insight and up-to-date news

DMECommunities

The DMECommunities Americans with Disabilities Act Group offers a forum to pose questions, get guidance from colleagues, find resources, and more! This exclusive online networking group gives DMEC members the opportunity to connect with industry peers, ask/answer questions, share resources, and seek feedback.

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@Work

Editorial Staff

Editor: Kelly Hernandez
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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2026 Integrated Absence Management Issue

June - August 2026

The CEO's Desk

From the CEO’s desk

Feature Articles

Expanded Perspectives: @Work To Share

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DMEC Resources

Legislative and Paid Sick Leave Updates

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