At the 2012 Health and Productivity Forum run by the Integrated Benefits Institute & National Business Coalition on Health, experts Michael Klachefsky and Dan McLaughlin will discuss the benefits of integrating absence and disability management based on their experience at Osseo Area Schools.
McLaughlin is a risk management specialist for Osseo Area Schools, while Klachefsky is a national practice leader. The two will address ways integration can reduce the impact of short-term absences, with an emphasis on dealing with both direct and indirect costs associated with employee absences and how to lessen the impact.
According to Klachefsky, one major area in which employers can improve their HR management system is the use of transitional return-to-work practices. Temporarily modifying a worker's hours, work location, duties or workstation can help foster productivity in the short-term while allowing time for the employee to recover.
Such arrangements are often used when an employee has a workers' compensation claim, Klachefsky notes, but may be advantageous even if an illness or injury unrelated to work impedes his or her abilities.
Human resource management and related tasks may be suitable for employee benefit consultants with expertise in the field, who can ensure policies mesh well with disability insurance and other coverage.
