Hewitt Associates Enhances Absence Management Offer by Adding Participant Advocacy Services

Hewitt Associates, a global human resources consulting and outsourcing services company, today announced it has added participant advocacy services to its absence management solution, improving the employee leave or disability experience through a more holistic, personal touch.

The new advocacy feature expands the breadth and scope of Hewitt’s absence management solution by pairing each employee taking an extended absence with a highly trained participant advocate. Advocates personally assist employees with the complicated, benefits-related access-to-care, eligibility, and billing issues that often accompany the leave process.

“Absence claims are usually associated with a life-changing event, and in the midst of personal or health-related issues, it’s difficult for workers to also try to juggle the challenges related to processing their absence,” explains Kim Stattner, Hewitt’s absence management strategy and product development leader. “By integrating advocacy into our absence management solution, we’re able to support the entire person—from the legal and compliance-related elements of the claim to the actual health event. With guidance from an advocate, an employee also might access a program that prevents a future absence event and improves his or her overall health. And ultimately, a healthier employee generates improved 'business health' for the employer."

Hewitt’s absence management solution enables employers to improve their financial and operational performance by minimizing the costs, impact on productivity and risk associated with all forms of health-related absence. It goes beyond tracking absences to help companies understand why and where absence occurs and offer solutions that best address the underlying causes. For example, Weyerhaeuser, which has outsourced short-term disability, FMLA and other leaves administration to Hewitt since 2007, has realized cost savings through a reduction in both the number and duration of short-term disability incidents. The company was also able to reduce risk by centralizing FMLA administration and implementing consistent leave practices. Since acquiring LCG in 2008, Hewitt has signed 16 new absence management clients.

The increasing complexity of managing absences, coupled with companies’ limited time and resources to do it effectively, have led many employers to seek out Hewitt’s expertise in absence management,” explains Mike Rogalski, senior vice president of Hewitt’s point solutions division. “We’re exceptionally pleased with the overall growth of our absence management business and feel that this unique, participant-oriented service nicely rounds out our offer. We look forward to helping our clients further understand and manage their workforce with our innovative solution.”

About Hewitt Associates

Hewitt Associates (NYSE: HEW) provides leading organizations around the world with expert human resources consulting and outsourcing solutions to help them anticipate and solve their most complex benefits, talent, and related financial challenges. Hewitt works with companies to design, implement, communicate, and administer a wide range of human resources, retirement, investment management, health care, compensation, and talent management strategies. With a history of exceptional client service since 1940, Hewitt has offices in more than 30 countries and employs approximately 23,000 associates who are helping make the world a better place to work. For more information, please visit www.hewitt.com.

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