Ultralink Launches Absence Managment Service to Help Employers Better Manage Administration

UltraLink a HR and benefits management services company, today announced AbsenceLink, its absence management service designed to streamline the processes of absence and leave administration while also reducing associated employer costs. Building on its already formidable array of call center and employee support services, UltraLink has partnered with California-based Qcera, Inc., an industry-leading provider of absence management software.

Unplanned absences currently cost employers anywhere from 6-10% of their total payroll. Overtime, temporary employees, permanent replacements and absence administration are just some of the ìhardî costs associated with workers being gone. Additionally, the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and state-mandated leave regulations are quite complex, and non-compliance can put employers in a serious liability position if not exactly followed.

ìMost companies have multiple mechanisms for reporting absences ñ employees calling in to supervisors, calls into HR directly, etc. ñ they often are not managed accurately or aggressively,î said Vince Sheeran, President and CEO of UltraLink. ìEssentially, most organizations are dramatically underreporting absences, and this lack of control can cost them significant dollars. AbsenceLink allows companies to manage all absences aggressively from a single intake point. Automating the employee-leave process and providing employers with a single point of access for all absence reporting translates into significant savings for our customers. It also frees up their HR team to focus more on strategic issues.î

Legal issues are another consideration. The complexity of the FMLA and other family and medical leave regulations can be daunting for employers, and if not followed properly can be very costly. According to the Department of Labor, on average, more than 3000 employers are targeted every year with these types of actions and attendant costs have totaled in the millions. For example, one such case in 2003 resulted in damages in excess of $21 million.

ìThe reduction of liability for non-compliance might not seem pressing, but the resulting costs are very real if you are targeted by an employee or former employee in an action,î said Sheeran. ìThe UltraLink team is expert in navigating the regulatory maze, especially in closing the gaps often experienced in intermittent leave tracking.î

While the ìhardî costs of absent employees are obvious, ìsoftî costs also occur in the form of productivity losses from employees missing work.

ìThe hard costs alone are significant but itís more than that,î said Sheeran. ìConsider lost revenue potential and customer satisfaction issues. Those may be softer costs but theyíre no less real. And how much money slips through the cracks when we donít manage absence effectively, when employees take unauthorized leaves or continue receiving benefits when leave time is already exhausted? UltraLinkís absence management service is ideal for plugging those holes and reducing these costs both quickly and efficiently.î

Qcera Partnership

Qceraís absence management software combines FMLA and incidental absence administration capabilities in a single, powerful web-deployed application.

ìThereís a strong synergy between Qcera and UltraLink as our offering is a natural extension of their current services and most certainly provides them with a distinct market advantage,î said Margaret Kahng, Vice President, Business Development for Qcera. ìUltraLink is an ideal partner for us, their leadership and expertise in delivering essential benefits administration and consulting services to their clients provides us with an excellent opportunity to enhance our market position. Employers will undoubtedly find value in UltraLinkís absence management service based on our powerful software.î

AbsenceLink Services

UltraLinkís absence management service provides the following:

ï A toll-free, 24x7 phone number specific to each employer for absence reporting and leave requests

ï Customized implementations and interfaces with HRIS/payroll systems to capture employee demographics and work schedules

ï Automatic electronic notifications sent to supervisors, HR staff, and employees

ï Maintenance of leave balances and eligibility verification

ï Benefit premium billing for employees on unpaid leave

ï Improved coordination with and reporting to disability carrier / administrator

ï Complete forms fulfillment including medical certifications and employer-specific communications

ï Comprehensive back-end reporting and analysis of absence trends

ìWhen employers can start quantifying employee absences accurately using a system like AbsenceLink, they are then in the position to introduce positive interventions that will impact the causes of those absences ñ often times they result from chronic illnesses,î added Sheeran. ìOnce employers can identify who this risk group is they can put into place health and productivity initiatives and wellness programs. So this type of service can be extremely cost effective across a broad spectrum.î