Liberty Mutual has just launched its "Foundation for Success" program, which has recently published "Tracking Absence: A Leave Guide for Producers," a first-in-series publication to help benefits brokers and consultants understand the complex federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), enabling them to better help their clients fully comply with this regulation.

"This guide helps benefits producers strengthen relationships with their clients," notes Kevin Krzeminski, general manager of sales for Liberty Mutual Group Benefits, the area of Liberty Mutual that provides group disability, life and leave management services. "We are focused on being a reliable resource for our broker and consultant partners. This guide will increase the knowledge of our producers enabling them to better serve their clients' needs around leave administration."

In addition to summarizing FMLA – and state versions of the program – Liberty Mutual's Tracking Absence: A Leave Guide for Producers details information for brokers and consultants about:

• Responsibilities of employers and employees
• Methods employers can use to track FMLA eligibility
• Ways to calculate the lost productivity costs faced by an employer when leave is not effectively managed
• Questions to help evaluate a client's FMLA program, and to identify improvement opportunities
• Processes to help clients determine if outsourcing leave administration makes sense
• Questions to ask potential leave administrators
• Factors shared by effective leave administration vendors

Later this year, Liberty Mutual will release additional guides highlighting issues of interest to producers.