An employer's profitability is tied to employees being healthy,present and productive on the job. When employees are absent fromwork for medical reasons—whether it's an incidental unplannedabsence (casual sick days, personal emergencies), a short- orlong-term disability leave or a leave of absence—the direct andindirect expenses of these leaves can be very costly to anorganization's bottom line.

Take absenteeism (unscheduled absences) and presenteeism(underperforming at work due to a medical condition or mentaldistractions) for example. These two workplace issues are veryproblematic and costly to employers because they are difficult toprevent or control. Personal issues, chronic illnesses or injuriesand mental health conditions are some of the leading causes ofabsenteeism and presenteeism, and continue to threatenproductivity. According to one source, presenteeism accounts for 60percent of the total cost of employee illness. 

There is a big opportunity for brokers to help employersproactively reduce the cost and impact of employee absences byworking with a carrier that offers a well-rounded absence anddisability management program focused on maintaining productivityand improving employee health.

Four key pillars make up the foundation of an effective andsuccessful absence and disability management program: employeeassistance programs, health advocacy solutions, job accommodationsand absence management solutions.

These pillars also can be supported by a provision for an onsitedisability management consultant who acts as the “quarterback” forthe program.

These components are designed to increase productivity and keeppeople at work, which can likely help employers save thousands inlost production, absence and disability-related costs, as well ashelp retain and motivate talent. Brokers will surely benefit frombringing this holistic option to the table.

Reviving the EAP

EAPs have been in existence for more than 70 years and offervarious types of short-term counseling to employees and theirfamily members. These programs can be very effective in helpingindividuals work through a variety of personal concerns or issuesnegatively impacting their health and productivity. Although mostemployers have EAPs, they remain a vastly underused benefit.

EAP usage is likely to become more important, however, due tomental health issues—such as anxiety and depression—contributing toan increasing number of short-term disability absences. The needfor EAPs has never been greater, and employers should takeadvantage of a disability management program that facilitates andincreases employees' usage of, and benefits from, an EAP.

A versatile absence and disability management program that usesan onsite consultant such as a nurse or vocational rehabilitationprofessional can further assist employees in getting the help theyneed through an EAP. With help from an onsite consultant, the EAPcan connect directly with the individual to make sure he or she isreceiving proper treatment and getting back to a healthierreturn-to-work state.

A good example of this is a retail associate manager whosuffered a devastating loss of a loved one. The person experiencedsleep disturbances and struggled with grief and loss. In the end,the person was diagnosed with acute stress disorder. An onsiteconsultant with the company's EAP was able to step in and help, byconsistently following up with the employee to monitor the person'smood and state. The consultant also encouraged the person to seekcare from a mental health counselor, and then worked closely withthe counselor to provide a background on the conditions for propertreatment.

An EAP is a critical benefit offering. Maximizing an absence anddisability management program with an EAP, and supporting its usagethrough a program's onsite consultant, not only can increaseworkplace productivity but also can demonstrate to employees thatthey are truly cared for and valued.

New solutions

Health advocacy is another key ingredient of a successfulabsence and disability management program that can help employers'combat declining productivity at the workplace.

Health advocates are trained professionals, typically registerednurses, who best understand how to navigate the many complexitiesof the health care system and can help individuals with a varietyof issues, including:

• Locating and researching various treatments for medicalconditions
• Scheduling appointments with hard-to-reach specialists
• Understanding complicated medical conditions or procedures
• Negotiating fees
• Explaining a bill

Many times, health advocacy services cover not only the employeebut also the employee's spouse, dependent children, parents andparents-in-law. And because the personal health advocates aretrained medical professionals, they maintain strict confidentialityand preserve patient rights.

Take, for example, an employee who needs to find a new doctor orspecialist for her sick child. The individual, thinking it wouldonly take a lunch break to research and identify an appropriatephysician, greatly miscalculates the amount of effort necessary tofind a doctor and ends up using valuable work time to get itresolved. This lost time is in addition to the added stress andburden on the employee that may affect his or her productivity theremainder of the day.

The biggest benefit of health advocacy services is how itremoves the burden and stress from the minds of employees when theymight normally be using work time to get through these types ofconcerns.

Absence prevention

Many employers are programmed to believe that once an employeehas an illness, physical injury or mental health problem, the onlyoption for the individual is to take a disability absence or LOA.Being absent from the workplace isn't always necessary; in fact,some medical authorities believe it can be avoided in manycases.

Something as simple and cost-effective as an ergonomic solutionor a job modification can likely prevent or reduce the duration ofa disability absence or LOA. It also can help prevent furtherinjury and mitigate potential risks.

Among absence and disability providers that offer this benefit,the most effective model is one that will provide an onsiteconsultant that is proficient in ergonomics to assess theworkplace. This professional will help the employer identifyopportunities where an ergonomics solution or job modification canbe used.

For example, think of an employee with severe anxiety who hastaken a disability absence or LOA. An onsite consultant can workwith the employer and the employee's therapist or physician todetermine the best course of action in getting the employee healthyand back to work as soon as possible. The solution could be assimple as reducing the employee's hours to part-time. A flexibleschedule allows for proper recovery, and gradually getting back tofull-time hours puts less stress on the individual and helps ensurea long-term stay at work.

Chronic physical conditions, such as back pain or carpal tunnelsyndrome, also are common causes of disability absences. The onsiteconsultant may help prevent an employee from taking a disabilityabsence or LOA by making workplace modifications in order to removebarriers to productivity. Depending on the physical issue, thiscould result in a more supportive chair, an ergonomic-friendlycomputer mouse or a lifting aid. A solution, big or small, canalleviate some of the pain and discomfort associated with aninjury, and also prevent further trauma.

Accommodations can enable employees to remain on the job safelyand also allow an individual to better work at his or her fullpotential. Not only do employers save significantly on costs byavoiding or reducing the duration of a disability absence or LOA,but the employee will feel extremely valued by his or herorganization.

Better tracking

Tracking and managing LOAs can be a job in itself. Employershave to follow and comply with evolving federal guidelines andstate requirements, as well as complete labor-intensive processesthat may involve multiple stakeholders and departments.

Intermittent leaves (scheduled or unscheduled leaves taken inseparate blocks of time) alone are responsible for 8 percent ofFamily Medical Leave Act regulated LOAs. These leaves have become amajor pain point for employers because of the administrative burdenand the productivity problems caused by some employees' use andabuse of intermittent leave.

Brokers can help employers find a program with acustomer-focused approach to absence, as well as a platform thatfully integrates the intake, management and reporting of variousleaves, including incidental unplanned and extended absences. Thistype of program will enable employers to better control and trackvarious LOAs and allow the HR department to focus their time andenergy on other critical needs in the workplace.

Putting it all together

It's crucial brokers let employers know of the powerful optionsthat are available when it comes to absence and disabilitymanagement. With an integrated absence and disability managementprogram focused on keeping employees at work and productive,employers can realize many positive results such as increasedreturn-to-work rates, reduced direct costs of workers' compensationor disability and decreased overall absenteeism/presenteeism.Additionally, it can help employers retain top talent, boostemployee morale and, most importantly, maintain productivity duringstill uncertain times. 

Michael Klachefsky is national practice leader of TheStandard's Workplace Possibilities program. He has more than 30years experience in the absence/disability management andproductivity industry. He can be contacted [email protected] or 971-321-2679.