Getting Down to Business (Overhead Expense)
Absences can be hard on both an employee and employer, which is why disability insurance can be a potent addition to your benefit plan. However, there is a way to make absences easier to manage. The following tips are based on an article written for the Council for Disability Awareness blog byMarjory Robertson, assistant vice president and senior counsel, and Abigail O’Connell, senior counsel, both of Sun Life Financial.
1. Make it easy for your employees during a time of stress.
When an employee needs to take a leave— whether it’s for a joyous occasion such as welcoming a new child, or one that’s more stressful, like caring for a family member — they are likely already overwhelmed. “A consolidated absence approach removes the need to contact separate entities for different benefits and entitlements,” say Robertson and O’Connell.
2.Make sure your company is compliant.
It’s nearly impossible to keep up with fluctuating federal, state, and local legal requirements regarding leaves of absence and workplace accommodations, but the consequences of noncompliance can be very serious.
3. Consider a third-party to ease the burden.
Selecting one vendor to administer paid and unpaid leave, absence, and disability benefits streamlines the function for both employers and employees because they can contact one entity for information about rights and obligations regarding multiple benefits and entitlements.
4. Help protect employee privacy.
An outside administrator limits risk of exposure to employee personal health information, assuring employees they won’t have to divulge sensitive medical information to their manager or HR department, Robertson and O’Connell explain.
5. Support your employees — but not at the expense of productivity.
Using a vendor allows employers and managers to receive consolidated reports that show the status, dates, and timelines for an employee’s absence, which makes it easier to plan workforce needs.
To learn more, read the full article here: “How disability insurance can be part of your paid leave and absence management strategy.”
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