Piecing together maternal leave options is enough to make any employee's head spin. By understanding their company and state guidelines, benefit managers can help
Leave for moms comes in many forms: Employer-sponsored time off such as
Added to the mix is paid family medical leave (PFML), which is state-dependent and growing swiftly: 13 states plus Washington D.C. have put mandatory
Expecting mothers often have the ability to combine any or all available options, and benefit managers should let them know what that will look like before the leave begins, says Missy Plohr-Memming, SVP of group benefits national accounts at insurance company MetLife.
"Educate her on what to expect and then determine a tool that can support her throughout the journey — both from an education perspective, and then the transactional work associated with making sure her leave administrative tasks are handled and she gets paid and unpaid at the right times," Plohr-Memming says.
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Putting together straightforward leave support
With as fast as leave policies are evolving — especially at the state level — it's important for benefit managers to first decide whether or not to take things on internally or outsource, says Plohr-Memming.
"There are very few states that don't already have some type of leave plan in place, or are contemplating one," she says. "A lot of those leave plans change year in and year out — either the benefit amount or some provision of the leave changes — so you've got to invest in a system or a set of capabilities to maintain this complex ecosystem, and then you've got to keep that ecosystem up to date. [For] a CHRO or a benefit manager, the question becomes, 'Do I have the bandwidth and the dollars to invest in managing this process?'"
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If the answer is no, there are third-party options. MetLife, for example, offers a tool that employees can use to determine which types of leave they have available based on employer and location, and resources that walk them through the entire experience.
No matter how benefit leaders choose to help employees through the leave process itself, it should be something they inform employees of from day one and remind them about often, Plohr-Memming says. MetLife research shows over 50% of employees say they do not understand their employer benefit programs, which could lead them to miss out, or worse, leave the organization.
Plohr-Memming notes the importance of communicating in multiple ways, such as in-person and virtual group meetings, emails and scheduled time for people to meet with benefit managers 1:1.
"As a business leader, you want to attract and keep the best talent, so you want people to understand your benefit programs and everything that's available to them, as well as how to access these things in time of need," she says. "If you're not constantly demonstrating the value of your programs, you run the risk of them not recognizing it, and then maybe looking [elsewhere]."
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Plohr-Memming recommends benefit managers put examples of common life scenarios — things like childbirth, illness and caregiving — along with the corresponding benefits and policies employees can use in these times, together in a way that is quick to reference.
"Speaking in plain English about what happens in life, and then helping someone know where to access and use [benefits] in that moment is incredibly important, and it's going to help those people feel supported and stay at their employer," she says.
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