Absence Management Administration Disability FMLA and Leave Management
Absence Management Administration: Disability, FMLA, and Leave Management Transition to Met. Life – Effective 8/6/18 Thomas Slawik Manager, HRSS Leave Management
Agenda • Background – Why was this decision made? • Benefits – Advocate/Leaders/Team Members • Scope – What’s included and what’s being retained? • What’s all changed effective August 6? • Support and Resources for Leaders • Met. Life My. Benefits System – Overview and Demonstration • Questions
Background Leaves Management Complexity • • Need to manage the administrative complexity Federal & State Law Changes ERISA Governance in 2018 Address our limited technology (1993 platform) Technology Demands Ensure we are scaled for growth Advocate’s Growth
Benefits • Administrator who specializes in leave of absence/disability claims administration and processing • Consistent process for administering leaves • Compliance with ever-changing regulatory requirements • Current technology: – Easy-to-use online system (My. Benefits) to request/track leaves – Mobile phone app to access My. Benefits online system • Improved tracking and reporting for leaders • Consistent communication to team members (and leaders) • Positions our company for further growth
Scope – What’s Included? Met. Life will administer the following: • Disability claims – Short-Term Disability (STD) – Long-Term Disability (LTD) • Family & Medical Leave (FMLA) – Continuous FMLA leaves (with or without disability) – Intermittent FMLA leaves • Personal Medical Leave (PML) • Personal Leaves (Non-medical) • Victim’s Economic Security and Safety Act (VESSA) Leave
Scope – What’s not Included? Advocate will continue to administer the following: • Military Service Leave (Reserves and Active Duty) • Other minor and non-traditional leaves (e. g. Jury Duty, Sick Leave (Cook County), Bereavement/Child Bereavement Leaves, etc. ) • Workers’ Compensation • Disability Payroll (STD and LTD) • ADA Interactive Process and Hardships • Return to Work with Restrictions – Transitional Work Program (TWP) – Restricted Duty (Non-disability) • Reasonable Accommodations (Regular and Pregnancy RACs)
What’s Changed on August 6? Slide 1 of 3 • All active leaves for team members were transitioned to Met. Life • Team members now call Met. Life or submit new disability claims/ leave requests though Met. Life’s online My. Benefits system • Team members and leaders all have online and mobile access to My. Benefits to track leave/claim status • Leave Management Tool was replaced by My. Benefits system – My. Benefits system available via advocatebenefits. com – LMT no longer accessible – can contact HR Direct for historic data • LOA Dashboard (Manager’s Desktop) replaced by My. Benefits • Leaders can request to receive My. Benefits reports to track leave status for their department
What’s Changed on August 6? Slide 2 of 3 • Met. Life will gather and review all needed information from team member and Advocate and make approval decisions – Met. Life will determine team member LOA eligibility and entitlement – Met. Life will make leave approval and denial decisions • Met. Life will provide frequent and ongoing communication about leave/claim status to team member and their leader – Automatic email push notifications will be sent to leaders for leave status changes and reported Intermittent FML absences – Leaders will also be copied on all leave correspondence • Leaders will make approval decisions for Personal Leaves (Nonmedical) in online My. Benefits system • Team members must report Intermittent FML absences to Met. Life within 2 BD’s (in addition to normal call-in procedure)
What’s Changed on August 6? Slide 3 of 3 • Leader time card coding responsibilities: – Remain the same for now… – Future: Time cards for disability leaves will be moved to Disability Cost Center at beginning of leave for coding of elimination period • Return to Work (Full Duty) Process has changed – RTW Note for medical release is no longer required for full-duty return – Met. Life will now manage and communicate RTW FD in My. Benefits • Team members and leaders will contact Met. Life Customer Solutions Center with questions related to administration of leaves/disability claims – Monday-Friday (7 am to 10 pm Central) | 1. 888. 294. 1988 • Team members and leaders will continue to contact Advocate HR Direct with questions outside Met. Life scope: – Monday-Friday (8 am to 5 pm Central) | 1. 847. 685. 1447 (23. 1447)
Support and Resources
Support and Resources
Support and Resources
Support and Resources
Met. Life My. Benefits Demo
Questions/Comments/Concerns Met. Life Customer Solutions Center – 1. 888. 294. 1988 HRDirect – 1. 847. 685. 1447 (23. 1447) Thomas Slawik – thomas. slawik@advocatehealth. com
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