The Standard conducted a research study1 to learn more about employees' perceptions of and engagement with their employers' disability management programs.
We learned that an organization's approach to disability management and employee productivity are uniquely linked.
This report focuses on four insights you can use to start a conversation about improving the employee experience.
See how these four insights are related to your workforce. And put your knowledge to the test — take our quiz to find out where you stand when it comes to managing employee disability and workplace productivity. Maybe you'll be inspired to change your approach.
Employees at companies of all sizes reported a wide range of health conditions that lowered productivity or required a disability leave.
Length of leave is just one consideration. Employers need to be prepared to tackle potential challenges, including productivity and financial impact, co-morbidity and return-to-work impact, and mental health conditions and accommodations.
Working with their direct supervisor may create unnecessary concerns for employees on disability leave. In contrast, working with an HR manager left employees feeling more valued and productive.
employees on disability leave who worked
with a direct supervisor were concerned
about losing their job.
Employees who approached HR were more likely to be connected to their organization's disability carrier than those who approached direct supervisors.
When carriers are involved in disability management, more employees are provided with workplace resources that can improve their experience, manage health conditions and enable them to return to work safely.
One of the survey's key findings was that 89 percent of employees who have a health condition took a disability leave. This shows the potential negative impact on employee productivity. Workplace accommodations can help employees return to work sooner.
Our recent survey2 of HR managers at the 2018 SHRM conference found that only 20% knew how many fewer days of disability employees take when provided with workplace accommodations.
Take our quiz and find out where you stand when it comes to employees on disability and workplace productivity.
Our research provides critical insights into how you can improve your disability management program. Now it's time to make it actionable. Use these key steps to build a robust training program in disability management.
You'll find even more details in our full report.
1 Employee Disability Leave Study, The Link Between Disability Management and Employee Productivity, The Standard, May 2018, standard.com/eforms/19911.pdf. Note: The survey excluded employees who had filed a workers' compensation claim exclusively as a result of their illness or injury or who took maternity leave.
2 Employee Disability Leave Quiz conducted by The Standard at the 2018 SHRM Conference & Exposition.
The Standard is a marketing name for StanCorp Financial Group, Inc. and subsidiaries.
