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DMEC News: September-October 2026

DMEC introduces a new master class on costly accommodation and leave mistakes, new microcredential courses on military leave and Iowa leave laws, and applications for the 2027-2029 Employer Advisory Council.

Work Is Medicine

Smiling businessman in a face mask seated at a meeting table in an office
Work is more than a paycheck. For people coping with illness or injury, it also provides structure, social connection, identity, and daily purpose, key ingredients that matter enormously to recovery.

The Empathetic RTW Leader: Balancing Accommodation and Accountability

Smiling businesswoman with a laptop and coffee reviewing a document with a coworker
I once worked with an employee who was so fearful of losing their job that they wanted to return to work too early. Physically, they weren’t ready, and mentally, they were exhausted.

Are Return-to-Work Durations Changing Over Time?

Illustrative line chart showing leave requests rising over time while average return-to-work duration declines
Return-to-work (RTW) durations are a measure of how long employees need to recover from an illness, injury, or medical procedure before returning to their jobs. However, these durations reflect much more than recovery time alone.

The Smarter Return: Why Employers Are Rethinking Temporary Modified Light Duty

Warehouse worker scanning barcodes on boxes on a shelf
When an employee is injured on the job, the immediate focus naturally turns to medical care. But what happens in the days, weeks and sometimes months that follow may matter just as much as the treatment itself.

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Allison Morgan
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Lindsay Lueken

VP, Disability & Leave Operations

BROADSPIRE

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Alice Cotti

VP, Government Segment Business Solutions

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Seth Turner, Chief Strategy Officer
Seth Turner

Chief Strategy Officer

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