LYNX Wellness and Family Medical
Leave Act
A Transit Perspective
Wellness Programs
Current (The basics)
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EAP
Gym offerings
Food updates and tips of the week
Website support
Coaching support
Weight loss challenges
Food samples and vending machine enhancements
Rewards for getting annual physical or other ‘maintenance type’ check ups
Sponsored sporting events and group exercise
Tickets to events and small tokens
Added cost towards health premiums for tobacco users
Quiet or Rest areas
Water bottles and refill areas
Wellness Programs
Future (Millennials)
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Consumer directed health plans (ie.) A choice of a HDP or a traditional HMO/PPO
On site fitness to include Yoga, Cross-fit and specialty fitness classes. This to also
focus on the social aspect ‘work fitness’
Telemedicine instead of actual visits to the Dr.
Expanded parental leave (up to a year) and vacation (unlimited).
Provided or stipend towards child care
Snack bars
Stipends towards college debt
Regular feedback and rewards instead of annual performance evaluations
Paid professional development and training (ie). For retention because they will
jump if not happy. Provide a rotational program.
Expansion of technology and social media within agency (ie.) Better be up to date
Millennials
• Millennials will be the largest working group in the next 5 years
• Millennials have a different ‘paradigm’ on most aspects surrounding
wellness and how to achieve it
• Millennials will expect more from their employers
• Millennials perception of longevity in the workplace is approx. 3-5 years
• Millennials will demand more flexibility in the workplace than ever before
• Millennials will frown on the typically slow moving policies, programs,
procedures and general effectiveness of using transit or working in transit
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Did You Know? True or False
FMLA doesn’t
cover domestic
partners
An employee can
take FMLA to
attend their
son/daughters
military ceremony
TRUE
TRUE
Collective
Bargaining Units
have a bearing on
FMLA
TRUE
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FMLA – Significant items to consider
• FMLA knowledge of employer
Are you clear on the Who? What? Where? When? How?
• FMLA knowledge of employee
Is the employee clear on the Who? What? Where ? When? How?
• FMLA knowledge of health care provider
Is the HCP clear on the Who? What? Where? When? How?
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FMLA – Significant items to consider
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• Employer
• Employee/HCP
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How does it begin?
Leave paid or unpaid?
Who pays premiums?
Periodic reports?
Key employee’s?
Intermittent leave?
Eligibility?
Qualifying events?
Types of Dr.s?
Essential functions?
Exigency leave?
26/12/480
Determining 12 month?
Notification(s)?
Fitness for duty?
Discharge?
FMLA – Minimizing impacts
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Check eligibility (2x)
Schedule the intermittent leave
Enforce requirements
Documentation needs to be specific and complete
Enforce call-in procedures
Second opinions
Make sure the leave qualifies
Certify, certify, certify and review
Status reports (periodically)
Follow all absences
Train everyone involved with FMLA
Confront suspected abuse
Send for clarification from HCP
Managers and Supervisors to ask set questions
FMLA in Transit
Many employers do not pursue possible FMLA abusers
Many employers do not pursue information from HCP
Many employers do not have dedicated staff handling FMLA
Many employers do not understand their own rights
Many employers do not believe that they can ask questions
Many employers do not send key employees for training
Many employers do not apply banked sick time, vacation, or
personal days against FMLA use
• Many employers do not enforce the rules afforded to them
• Many employers do not take action
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“The resulting abuse of sick outs and FMLA could go as high as
>40% workforce absenteeism in Transit”
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Absenteeism
• Overall absenteeism in Transit Operations has an upward trend
• LYNX has seen an increase by 1% each year over the last four
years (14.5%)
• Written reminders begin after first absence
• (Step 1) Enter progressive discipline after 5 absences
• (Step 2) Suspension – 1 day after 7 absences
• (Step 3) Suspension – 3 days after 9 absences
• (Step 4) Subject to term after 11 absences
• Up to 40% of cost in workforce illness is in lost productivity
• Did you know that real and/or perceived threats play a big part
• Causes back pain, anger, rage, grief, depression,anxiety
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THANK YOU
Enjoy the rest of your conference
Stephen Berry
Manager of Operations
2500 LYNX Lane
Orlando, FL 32804
407-254-6003
sberry@golynx.com