|
UNUMPROVIDENT HELPS BROKERS, EMPLOYEE
BENEFIT MANAGERS UNDERSTAND FMLA
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Feb. 16, 2006) –
UnumProvident Corporation (UNM) and AOL will share with employers
and brokers the positive impact a leave management program can have
on a company’s bottom line during a free Employee Benefit News (EBN)
online seminar on one of the most complex regulatory issues that
employers face today – compliance with the Family and Medical Leave
Act (FMLA).
The online seminar, Understanding the Impact of FMLA Management
is scheduled Thursday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m. (Eastern). Featuring
Patrick Leary, senior benefit consultant for AOL, and Rob Hecker,
vice president of UnumProvident’s Leave Management Unit, the online
seminar provides practical solutions to the challenges of leave
management and illustrates the return on investment (ROI) of
effective leave management through a case study that focuses on AOL
employee FMLA data.
“According to Mercer Human Resources Consulting, unscheduled
employee absence can cost employers nearly 15 percent of payroll
each year, including costs associated with overtime, replacement
workers and loss of efficiency,” Hecker explained. The case study
presented at this online seminar depicts the value of integration –
a solution that effectively manages a disability claim and
simultaneously reviews for FMLA or state leave eligibility.
Since implementation of the Family Medical Leave Act in 1993,
millions of Americans have taken family medical leave and 33 states
have adopted their own leave regulations. The resulting tracking and
reporting complexity has taxed many human resource organizations.
Indeed, the Society of Human Resource Management reports that more
than two-thirds of today’s human resource professionals say the
Family and Medical Leave Act is a challenge to administer. And a
2005 report by the Employment Policy Foundation estimated that lost
time due to FMLA cost companies an estimated $4.8 billion in profits
each year.
“Employers can’t manage what they don’t understand,” Hecker said.
“And the complexity of family and medical leave laws has many of
today’s benefits managers frustrated and potentially liable for
compliance violations.” AOL contracts with UnumProvident for
assistance with managing family and medical leave for more than
12,000 employees.
AOL’s experience is included in a UnumProvident research report
on family and medical leave to be released in the first quarter of
2006.
To register for the free online seminar, visit http://www.sourcemedia.com/webseminar/UnumProvident/splash.html.
# # #
|