Employees Benefit from Integrating FMLA, Employee Assistance Programs

A study by the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) reported the prevalence of depression among workers is close to 30 percent, and 70 percent of these depressed employees goes untreated. Furthermore, 97 percent of employees who file a leave claim for depression also report other co-morbid conditions. This is amplified when they are on leave caring for family members. At a minimum there are emotional, financial and lifestyle implications for these employees.

For employers, the IBI study estimated the yearly cost in lost work time and medical treatments is $62,000 per 100 employees. Workpartners’ LifeSolutions Employee Assistance Program (EAP) implemented a program to engage employees on leaves of absence with our EAP, providing them the resources at the right time. Helping them to manage the range of life challenges they are facing. Several variables (type of leave, circumstances, etc.) can make tracking leave durations challenging; however, we found these key accomplishments:

• All employees offered the warm transfer to LifeSolutions accepted it for a 100-percent engagement rate. Employees transferred were open and supportive in hearing about the available services.

• Employees who utilized LifeSolutions’ extra support during approved Continuous Leave experienced far shorter leave time frames.

• Twelve percent of the transferred employees accepted supportive services beyond the discussion and informational flier.

The program involved a warm transfer to LifeSolutions EAP at the end of the initial leave request interaction. The care manager engaged in motivational interviewing and conversation that gave the employee information on services that could assist them based on their individual situation. Each employee’s original care manager made a followup call within 30 days to check on the employee and provide additional support.

LifeSolutions EAP can help your company build a productive and flourishing workforce by integrating your policies with our services. Contact LifeSolutions today at 1-844-833-0527.

Whitney DeStephano is an account manager for Workpartners’ LifeSolutions. She has more than six years of experience in population health management and has worked with clients in diverse industries. To learn more about Workpartners’ LifeSolutions, visit lifesolutionsforyou.com or visit the Manufacturer & Business Association’s website mbausa.org.

STUDY: MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES SEEKING EMPLOYERS WITH SIMILAR VALUES

Demonstrating a commitment to good corporate citizenship could be key to attracting and retaining top talent, according to a new study by Fidelity Charitable®, an independent public charity and the nation’s largest grantmaker. In an ongoing tight labor market, with unemployment at a low 3.5 percent, 86 percent of employees say it’s important to work for a company whose values align with their own.

86 percent of employees say it’s important to work for a company whose values align with their own

And 81 percent want to work for a company that has socially responsible business practice. Nearly 48 million people in the U.S. quit their jobs in 2021, and workers are still on the move. Half of all employees — and six in 10 Millennial and Gen Z workers — say they’re considering changing employers in the next year. Among those considering a switch, the desire for more meaningful work is in the top three reasons they are seeking a new job.

RESEARCH REVEALS NONPROFIT VOLUNTEERS MORE VALUED THAN EVER, BUT SCARCE

Nonprofit organizations grappling with increased demand, limited resources and reduced staffing since the global pandemic rely more than ever on volunteer engagement, but those volunteers are now harder to engage, according to research conducted by the University of Maryland.

The first-of-its-kind analysis about the state of U.S. volunteer engagement came out of a survey of more than 1,000 nonprofit CEOs and more than 100 funders that was led by the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute and funded in part by a new national collaboration, the Initiative for Strategic Volunteer Engagement.

The survey found that in 2022, nearly twothirds (64.4 percent) of nonprofits reported an increase in demand for their organizational services. Just over half (51.1 percent) expanded their delivery of services, and 48.5 percent boosted staff workloads to help meet demand. At the same time, 28.7 percent of nonprofits are operating with less funding and paid staff than they had before the pandemic.

Nonprofits are challenged by finding the right volunteer support as well as the capacity and infrastructure to sustain volunteer engagement. Nearly half (46.8 percent) of CEOs say that recruiting sufficient volunteers is a big problem for their organizations, particularly volunteers who are available during the traditional workday.

WHAT IS THE UNIFORMED SERVICES EMPLOYMENT & REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT (USERRA)?

The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) prohibits discrimination against individuals on the basis of membership in the uniformed services with regard to any aspect of employment. In addition, employers must:

• Re-employ individuals who are absent from employment by reason of service in the uniformed services;

• Restore seniority and other rights and benefits that employees had when they commenced service in the uniformed services; and

• Provide any additional seniority, rights and benefits that employees would have attained if they had remained continuously employed. Employers must also notify employees of their rights, benefits and obligations under USERRA.

I AM A SMALL EMPLOYER. DOES USERRA APPLY TO ME? WHICH EMPLOYEES?

USERRA applies to all public and private employers in the United States, regardless of size. It also applies in overseas workplaces that are owned or controlled by U.S. employers. The Act protects all individuals that are members of the U.S. uniformed services, including the Armed Forces, National Guard, commissioned public health service employees (for example, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Rights under USERRA are afforded to individuals who are volunteers, draftees or reservists. The Act gives protections to individuals who are absent from work for active duty, active duty for training, initial active duty for training (such as drills), inactive duty training, full-time National Guard duty and state active duty. USERRA also covers a period for which a person is absent from a position of employment for the purpose of an examination to determine the fitness of the person to perform any military duty.