2026 DMEC Compliance Conference
2026 DMEC Compliance Conference
Location: St. Louis Union Station Hotel, St. Louis, MO
Date: April 13 – 16, 2026
We’re proud to sponsor the 2026 DMEC Compliance Conference, which brings together more than 500 professionals focused on workplace accommodations and leave management. The conference explores critical compliance topics, including the FMLA, ADA, paid and unpaid state leave, and pregnancy- and childbirth-related leave laws, helping organizations navigate today’s complex absence and leave landscape.
In addition to exhibiting in the expo hall, we’re hosting two educational sessions on April 14 — one focused on understanding reasonable accommodations and another on supporting neurodiverse employees. We look forward to connecting with clients, partners and conference attendees in St. Louis.
Please plan to attend our sessions and stop by our booth.
Visit Our Booth
Visit Booth 220 to connect with our team and presenters, pick up neurodiversity‑inspired giveaways and learn how we can help support your leave management initiatives.
Attend Our Sessions
Reasonable or Unreasonable? That Is the ADA Question.
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 1:15 – 2:15 p.m. Central
Speakers:
- Lincoln Dirks, JD, CEBS, National Practice Leader, Absence Management, The Standard
- Lisa Wade, Disability and Productivity Consultant, The Standard
With work from home, leave as an accommodation and flexible working hours, is your corporate culture or bias negatively influencing your decisions about whether or not an accommodation is reasonable? This presentation offers HR professionals valuable insights into balancing ADA accommodations with corporate practices. We’ll dig into what constitutes a reasonable accommodation, how leave can be a reasonable accommodation and how the frequency of leave extensions can impact FMLA timelines, and provide best practices on leave duration before it becomes an undue hardship. We’ll also provide examples of common accommodation requests and strategies for implementing them effectively, helping you to maintain legal compliance while fostering a supportive workplace.
From Compliance to Culture: A Modern Framework for Supporting Neurodiversity and Well-Being
Date: Tuesday, April 14
Time: 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Central
Speakers:
- Dan Jolivet, PhD, Workplace Possibilities Practice Consultant, The Standard
- Ronald Boudreau Jr., MS, CRC, Workplace Possibilities Program Coordinator, The Standard
- Heidi Izunagbara, Senior Accommodations Specialist, The Standard
Work-related burnout is a major driver of leave and absenteeism, yet most disability management programs often overlook a key barrier: the work itself. This is especially true for neurodivergent employees, where the challenge isn’t just the tasks at hand — it’s how the brain processes, organizes and responds to them.
In this session, we’ll explore how executive function challenges — common in conditions like ADHD, autism, anxiety and depression — impact productivity, well-being and the ability to perform essential job functions. Learn why some accommodations fall short and discover effective, ADA-aligned supports that have been tested in some of the most demanding corporate environments. Attendees will walk away with actionable strategies to better support neurodivergent employees, reduce leave and build a workplace where every mind can thrive.
Related Content
Related Products or Services
Absence Management Services make it easy to track your employee leaves. We handle a broad range of absences, including short term and long term disability and family medical leave. Get expert help to comply with state and federal regulations.
Short Term Disability plan with The Standard required
Learn about our Workplace PossibilitiesSM program, a proactive, whole-person approach to disability support. We provide customized solutions to help employees stay productive.