Tag @work magazine article

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?

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.

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 Massachusetts and contributions in Connecticut with benefits starting in 2022.

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

How should employers handle accommodation requests under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) when an employee needs an accommodation due to a mental health condition related to pregnancy, childbirth, or other medical condition?

Emergencies and disasters are unfortunate realities of life. When an employee experiences trauma, whether it is from a weather catastrophe, workplace violence, a personal crisis, or a community event, a manager’s response becomes a defining moment. If the situation is handled well, it creates space for healing and builds trust while allowing for business operations to continue. If the situation is handled poorly, the employee’s recovery can be damaged, and the organization can be put at increased risk from a legal, financial, and reputational standpoint.

Mental health–related short-term disability (STD) claims are rising at a rate that many employer leave programs were never designed to handle. Stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and trauma now represent some of the fastest-growing drivers of time away from work.

Seven states have heat safety regulation laws for employees, and more are considering them. How can employers protect their teams from heat stress?

Instead of handing stressed employees a self-help resource, we need to assess and address the organizational conditions creating that stress.

“Who’s helped you this week? And what’s one personal win you’d like to share?” These questions are posed during weekly team huddles to encourage staff members to share insights and takeaways, and ideally to ask for help when they need it.