According to Edwin Quick, chair-elect of the Certification ofDisability Management Specialists Commission, a single-track,separate view of benefits plans is over. Disability managementplans, in particular, need to be integrated into an entire benefitsprogram rather than being reserved for return-to-work andstay-at-home purposes.

In an article published on the Society for Human ResourcesManagement’s website, Quick pointed out that employers these days“need a holistic view of employees’ needs,” and should meet thoseneeds through a variety of benefit programs ranging from healthcare coverage, to wellness coaching, to ergonomic assessments, todisability management.

Rather than being a stop-gap for employees who are injured andunable to work, Quick said disability plans need to be part ofintegrated disability management initiatives. Such initiatives aremore proactive because they offer resources through other benefitlines. IDM, for example, focuses on return-to-work strategies thatinclude modified job duties and temporary alternative assignmentsand work-at-home programs.

A holistic program linking disability to other initiatives isbecoming more important, Quick explained, because of trends such asan aging workforce and unhealthy habits. As such, IDM practices caninclude policies to develop interventions; data to determine rootcauses of unscheduled absences and to identify health risks and anROI study of programs – the cost of administering a particularinitiative as compared to the size and number of claims that arereduced.

For more information, log onto http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/Articles/Pages/DisabilityManagement.aspx.