The Family and Medical Leave Act can serve as an early warning system for predicting and preventing disability absences, according to a study by the Integrate Benefits Institute.
"In many ways, FMLA gets a bad rap because of the spotlight on questionable claims, and employers usually focus on trying to prevent misuse of leaves," says Thomas Parry, Ph.D., president of IBI. "Our data tell a different story of how employees are using it and how there's an opportunity for employers to prevent disability absence. Employers should consider using FMLA as an early warning system to detect impending health issues among their employees and their families."
As mandated by FMLA, employees must inform their employers when they or family members have serious medical conditions, which gives an understanding of employees' critical health needs. This helps employers avert longer-term, more serious absences via short- and long-term disability.
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According to the study, benefits departments along with external absence and health management professionals can work with employers to reduce disability costs by creating strategies to connect at-risk employees with existing benefits. Few employees take FMLA leave, and of those who do, they are more likely to also take short-term disability next year.
When employees request FMLA, it can predict future short-term disability claims when leave is rejected, the study finds. Among employees without access to short-term disability benefits, they use more FMLA days, and short-term disability durations are lengthier following FMLA claims. Additionally, the chance of future long-term disability claims increase.
Typically, intermittent FMLA is used Mondays and Fridays, more so than other weekdays, and they are more likely to be full-day absences, the study finds. However, the research also does not support the belief that employees use intermittent FMLA for longer weekends.
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