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= Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) =

The Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) is a professional association committed to educating disability and absence management professionals. DMEC provides members, representing an estimated 16,500 human resource professionals, with education and resources to manage leave and accommodation programs, minimize lost work time, and develop effective return-to-work and stay-at-work strategies to maximize productivity, reduce costs, and maintain legal compliance for employers of all sizes.

DMEC is the only US non-profit association providing education, networking opportunities, research, and updates on federal, state, and local legislative changes to a broad community of companies and individuals. Despite being law since 1993, The Family and Medical Leave Act is still not well understood despite widespread training. A 2021 survey found that only 46% of managers could name the benefits provide by the law. FMLA Insights author Jeff Nowak, a recognized leader on the FMLA and the ADA with decades of experience assisting employers on complex employment legal matters, has stated, “If you’re an employer and not a member of DMEC, you’re doing yourself a disservice.”

COVID-19 response
To help employers navigate new leave requirements brought on by hundreds of thousands, of people contracting COVID-19 in a single day, DMEC worked with partners across the industry to compile a comprehensive resource including a dozen or more webinars, a recorded panel discussion, survey results, and articles. The resource page also included links to government resources, and employment law resources.

DMEC emerged as a thought leader for mental health during the pandemic. CEO Terri L. Rhodes published many articles on the subject including a May 2020, Risk & Insurance article entitled, “5 Tips for Helping Employees Manage Their Mental Health During COVID-19”. She appeared again in an August 19, 2021, Bloomberg Law article on return-to-work lawsuits, which states: Mental health concerns come in many forms for employers to grapple with, and workers often fear coming forward, said Terri Rhodes, chief executive officer of the Disability Management Employer Coalition. This has increased amid the pandemic, and in the new reality, as the delta variant has taken hold, she said.

“Workplace mental health has been dubbed the ‘second pandemic,’” Rhodes said, observing that many employers have decided to walk back their requirements to return to the office. “Mental health impacts the employees’ ability to be productive, and managers need to learn to understand when employees are struggling.”

Member benefits
DMEC’s mission is, “to advance strategies and resources that improve workforce productivity by minimizing the impact of absence and disability through education, networking, and other resources.” DMEC delivers on its mission through a variety of member benefits in different formats :


 * Conferences
 * Webinars
 * Magazine
 * Certification & training courses
 * Networking
 * Career center
 * Legislative updates
 * Leave and accommodation tool:
 * Surveys & bench marking reports

As of January 2022, the member list contained nearly 1,000 individuals or companies, representing an estimated 16,500 absence and disability management professionals from across the U.S. and Canada. DMEC has nearly two dozen national sponsors including Lincoln Financial Group®, MetLife, ReedGroup®, Guardian®, and Sedgwick®.

Conferences
DMEC hosts two annual conferences.

The DMEC FMLA/ADA Employer Compliance Conference happens each Spring. The conference is designed for anyone involved in or responsible for:


 * Absence and disability management
 * FMLA/ADA workplace compliance
 * Human resources/benefits
 * Return-to-work/Stay-at-work programs
 * Risk management and litigation
 * Workplace accommodations

In 2021, the Director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s FMLA branch, Helen Applewhaite, spoke about the “intense” process of implementing the Family First Coronavirus Response Act, which has been passed a year earlier and applied to over 60 million U.S. workers.

Each Fall, the DMEC Annual Conference provides an opportunity for workforce absence, disability, and return-to-work professionals to come together to share strategies, best practices, emerging technologies, and practical applications within the broad, evolving field of workplace absence and disability management. The conference covers:


 * Integrated absence and leave management
 * FMLA/ADA legal updates and compliance
 * Wellness and productivity
 * Return to work and stay at work

Education and certifications
To fulfill their mission and to help individuals advance their careers, DMEC offers the Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS) certification. The CLMS program is the only professional designation of its kind that provides interactive, hands-on training to ensure employers’ programs effectively comply with state and federal leave laws. In addition, the CLMS program offers downloadable tool kits, sample policies, documents, up-to-date guidance, resources, and forms to help meet legal and regulatory challenges.

Publications
Available exclusively to members, @Work magazine is published six times per year and features articles by industry experts sharing strategies, best practices, and practical applications on a variety of integrated absence management topics. Following the trends uncovered by DMEC surveys, the magazine publishes articles on topical issues including incorporating technology, communication strategies, and an integrated approach to absence management.