Once thought to be an effective strategy for primarily large employers, small and mid-size employers are now realizing the benefits of outsourcing the administration of federal- and state-mandated Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) claims, sick leave and disability benefit programs.

Outsourcing options vary and range from standalone administration of FMLA claims and state-specific programs to integrated benefits delivery of FMLA, short-term disability and workers’ compensation.

With the downturn in the economy, employers of all sizes are facing similar challenges – rising health care costs and lost productivity due to absences.  Yet, small to mid size employers are further burdened due to fewer available resources and time to help them effectively manage workplace absences and promote a healthy workforce.

CareWorks USA’s Disability Management Solutions division is an administrator of FMLA claims management and integrated disability benefit programs.  One third of small to mid-size employers who responded to a recent CareWorks USA survey were not satisfied with their current FMLA program.

Survey results help provide perspective on how small employers are struggling to manage the complexity and burden of FML claims and new regulations.
Interesting findings from the surveys included:

• 49% of all respondents have challenges in administering their FMLA claims.
• 82% of all respondents track FMLA time manually.
• 59% of all respondents do not provide training on FMLA to their managers and supervisors.
• 100% of all respondents currently unsatisfied with their current FMLA program have or are considering outsourcing as an option.

Many employers indicated that in addition to the manual record keeping and lack of education of managers and supervisors, the burden on human resources staff and consistency issues posed significant challenges to effective and efficient administration of leaves.  Others were concerned about compliance due to new federal regulations announced in January 2009.

Outsourcing FMLA administration can not only improve consistency and compliance, but also can enhance fairness for the employee and promote return to work.  For FMLA and other disability-related absences from work, an employer can most positively impact their costs by helping the employee restore a healthy, productive lifestyle as quickly and safely as possible.

For more information about this article or CareWorks USA’s Disability Management Solutions please contact Holly Moyer, Senior Disability Management Consultant, at (440) 937-9507 or via email to holly.moyer@vocworks.com.
Vocational Rehabilitation Services
An effective option during difficult economic times
Everyone is talking about it and we cannot ignore it.  Headlines such as “Unemployment rose to 5.1% in February after 651,000 jobs were lost” or “Economists expect 10% unemployment by end of 2010″ are constant reminders of the challenges employers face today.

This is not very good news for not only employers, but their employees as well.  VocWorks continues to be a leader in helping people get back to work after an occupational injury or a planned elimination their job.  Our full line of vocational rehabilitation services can be helpful and effective during tough economic times.

• Transferable Skills are the backbone of any vocational evaluation tool.  Transferable skills encompass a person’s work history, education, training and experience.  The level of transferability of a person’s skills to other jobs and work environments can be impacted by physical and/or psychological restrictions.  There are a variety of vocational evaluation tools that can help determine a person’s level of transferability.  VocWorks’ Transferrable Skills Analysis (TSA) is a valuable program for employers who want to offer job search services for their unskilled workers or low end semi-skilled workers.  Our specialists gather work and educational history to evaluate the type of jobs that may be available for employees whose jobs are being eliminated.

• Employability Assessments are a useful tool when dealing with lost jobs and wage-loss issues.  An employability assessment will, at a minimum, include a TSA and a Labor Market Survey (LMS).  A specialist can complete an LMS for any specific geographical area.  The specialist will take the probable jobs a person can perform as indicated by the TSA results, indicate how many of those jobs are available in a given geographic area, what the wage is for those jobs and any other statistical information requested.

• Vocational Screening and Vocational Evaluations are more extensive evaluation tools with the vocational evaluation being the most extensive.  They both involve a Transferable Skill Analysis, a clinical interview with the displaced or injured worker and vocational testing.  Both can also include a Labor Market Survey if requested.  The vocational screening and vocational evaluation are better used when considering short-term and long term retraining or aptitudes.

• Job Seeking Skills Training (JSST) and Job Placement programs are coordinated through a job placement specialist who provides daily assistance and guidance in finding new employment.  It is recommended that clients entering a job search take our extensive training program

Does your Job Analysis meet ADA guidelines for essential function?
An on-site job analysis includes a general description of job tasks, physical demands of the job and explains what the employee does and how the employee performs their work.  It is highly useful in determining whether an employee’s current level of function meets current job demands.

Our licensed therapists will come on-site and develop a job analysis for your company or assist in updating existing job analyses to ensure they identify the essential functions of the job and comply with ADA guidelines.  The information obtained and documented by the therapist is compiled into a detailed report that includes the essential elements of the job and material and non-material handling requirements.

To learn more about our services, please contact your local VocWorks Account Manager via email below or call our Corporate Headquarters, toll-free, at 1-877-641-2010.

Laura Alexander
Tony D’Orazio
Lee Ann Griffith
Kathleen Hamlin
Holly Moyer
Denise Pretzer (Michigan)
Amy Miller (Indiana)
Leslie Samuelson (Michigan)