Common Sense Compliance: A Comprehensive Approach



Return-to-work programs benefit organizations in myriad ways including enhanced employee experience that extends beyond those who need accommodations or request leaves of absence. They enable you to take a holistic approach to a foundational aspect of what we do — keeping employees at work or returning employees to productive and gainful employment.




Kristin Tugman, PhD, CRC, LPC, vice president of health and productivity and holistic wellness, Prudential, answers questions following the presentation “Mental Health at Work: Employee Rights and Employer Responsibilities” at the 2023 DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference.

Dan Jolivet, PhD, workplace possibilities practice consultant at The Standard, answered questions from DMEC members in the DMECommunities Mental Health group in May 2023. The following excerpts provide a snapshot of the live event, which was open to DMEC members, who can access the full Q&A on DMECommunities, an online platform for discussing absence and disability management issues.


We’ve been in a mental health crisis for years and oftentimes feel ill-equipped to help when employee assistance programs aren’t enough and access to care is difficult to obtain. Yet absence and disability managers are in an ideal spot to advocate for mental health investments because we see firsthand how mental health delays return-to-work timelines, increases treatment costs, and affects productivity. In fact, poor mental health costs $47.6 billion annually in lost productivity.
