Joining our two previously separate systems, one for disability and another for FMLA, into a single tool gives employers greater control over these programs, said Wayne Evans, manager of centralized claim and leave operations for Liberty Mutual’s group market business unit.
Disability claims cause 55% of employee absences and FMLA drives another 25%, according to the JHA/EBN 2005 Absence Management Survey. Liberty Mutual says that a single claims system will manage an employee’s total absence from work and will make it easier to count the time an employee is on disability against FMLA.
The system is also said to simplify compliance between the Federal and state FMLA programs by reflecting new developments and key rulings.
Additionally, consolidated reports track both disability claims and FMLA time, giving benefit managers the information needed to adjust these programs to better manage their costs.
The new system is also designed to improve employee satisfaction with the programs. It does this by making it easier for employees to file for FMLA time and check the status of their application.
It’s all about control and convenience, says Evans. Building a claims system that manages both disability and FMLA helps employers better manage these costs and simplify how employees file claims.
