In order to be deemed \u201cknowledgeable,\u201d managers were required to answer our three questions on FMLA correctly. Of the 435 managers surveyed, just 11% answered all three basic questions correctly, reflecting a significant knowledge gap!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For PFL, we asked two questions to test managers\u2019 knowledge and just 17% of these managers were able to correctly identify the benefits eligible under PFL, including whether they live in a state currently offering PFL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It would be one thing if these managers weren\u2019t tasked with any responsibility with leave administration at their company, but that\u2019s not the case. The graphic below shows that nearly 50% of managers said they are responsible for educating their employees on these leave benefits and notifying them of their eligibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Figure 1: Managers\u2019 responsibilities in leave administration at their employer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Considering that 30% of managers in the study thought that FMLA provided insurance coverage to pay medical bills while on leave and 32% indicated FMLA provided replacement of lost salary\/wage, it is easy to be concerned about having these managers responsible for educating employees on these leave options and benefits. Adding to the complexity and risk for the company is that having one of your managers treat their direct reports differently than another relating to the FMLA is also an FMLA violation. If one manager thinks FMLA can be taken for a family vacation, and another doesn\u2019t, you have a significant compliance issue!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Figure 2: Employees\u2019 and managers\u2019 responses to the benefits provided by FMLA. Note: Respondents could select multiple answers.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We speculated after 2019\u2019s report \u2014 in which we did not ask questions about whether managers had received FMLA training \u2014 that a lack of training was a major factor in the knowledge gap. Yet after collecting training data from respondents in 2020, we found the knowledge gap among managers was virtually the same, regardless of whether the manager had formal training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this is yet another red flag, we did identify some benefits from training. Managers who had received FMLA training were significantly more likely to agree that as managers of employees, they could be sued for FMLA and ADA violations. They were also significantly more likely to agree they are responsible for helping with compliance at their organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Customer portals are becoming commonplace for large employers as well as insurance companies \u2014 recent Majesco research<\/a> found that insurers are heavily focused on customer self-service capabilities and portals, with 41% to 61% of companies saying they are implementing or have already implemented these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While these portals can be used for a multitude of reasons, they can be a tremendous resource for employees and managers when it comes to tracking and reporting absences. Our research found that self-service company portals are employees\u2019 preferred method to obtaining answers to the number of days they\u2019ve been absent and the days they have remaining. But when it comes to more detailed questions, such as the type of state of federally offered leaves available, employees are more apt to seek out this answer by contacting their HR department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Figure 3: Where do employees go for their leave questions?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefits of an effective and informative self-service portal are substantial. Having a devoted platform where employees and managers can access this information 24\/7 could play a pivotal role in ensuring both employees and managers are well-educated in the state and federal leaves available to them. Paired with an FMLA tracking software<\/a> that can automatically determine an employee\u2019s eligibility for these leaves based on built-in regulations is the type of error-proof risk and compliance management solution<\/a> needed in the market. Hence the rising demand in absence and accommodation management software<\/a> that employers can use or insurance companies can provide as a \u201cvalue added service\u201d to their employer customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Insurance companies who are providing this offering, or are in the process of enhancing their portal, are well-positioned to be a go-to solution for helping employers mitigate their compliance risk and improve their leave tracking<\/a> offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you might expect, there\u2019s no silver bullet for solving this Knowledge Gap. For some companies, the Knowledge Gap may not be as substantial. And the approach to address this gap for one employer may not work for another. Take employer size and location, for example. An employer with more than 10,000 employees that has offices all across the U.S. is going to have a much more complicated workforce to manage absences than that of a 200-person company operating in a single state. And as noted before, the rising acceptance of work from home will accelerate this complexity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Balancing multiple state Paid Family Leaves alongside other local, state, and federal leave laws, and any corporate leaves, is a lot for anyone whose full-time job is absence management<\/a>. While no one is expecting these managers to have the same set of knowledge as those individuals, it probably doesn\u2019t come as a surprise that managers who have a substantial list of their own day-to-day duties are struggling to correctly identify FMLA and PFL details. Simply allowing these managers to continue to play a role in leave administration without proper education isn\u2019t the answer, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While our study found the existing training structure isn\u2019t proving to be an effective way of educating managers, we heard through interviews with them that these training sessions were infrequent and covered a wide range of topics \u2014 they weren\u2019t specific to leaves such as FMLA. Evaluating whether the existing training at your company is focused enough and effective with your staff is a great starting point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For some employers, though, part of the answer may be to look to an insurance carrier or third-party administrator for a new \u201cvalue added\u201d service. Although it doesn\u2019t absolve your managers of responsibility, outsourcing leave administration to insurers or TPAs is becoming increasingly common among employers. Insurance companies and TPAs have the resources and technology to optimize the business process and ensure compliance with these laws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a complete picture of the FMLA & PFL Knowledge Gap in 2020, you can download the report here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Alarmed by the results of the 2019 employee\/manager FMLA Knowledge Gap survey with regard to the lack of understanding of leave regulations and the employee and compliance challenges due to it, we decided to follow up in 2020 in the hopes of seeing a significant improvement. Leave administration may not be a top of mind…<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging.majesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Figure-1-KG-Report-1024x461.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging.majesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Figure-2-KG-Report-1024x611.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat Role Does Technology Play in Educating Managers and Employees?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/staging.majesco.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Figure-3-KG-Report-1024x642.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nHow Should Employers Address This Knowledge Gap?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n