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I have used UNUM last 5+ years. I rate them 5 stars from implementation to roll out to employees n ongoing services. Excellent customer service, tools n resources!
Been trying to get buy-in for mgmt to do this - I would say, the research I have done and comments from other benefits peeps, is to use the same provider as who processes your std . Good luck and very interested in this thread.
Edit - I should have included, that I have explained this would save time within the HR Dept while keeping us compliant - big fear of mine is consistency too since we have multiple locations.
I agree ! The issue is that some companies who do STD do not offer both services . The other issue is STD companies who did not offer FMLA services prior are now offering it as a combo however they are not versed in that part of the business . I have colleague now that works for a company now that just implemented the std /FMLA migration and they are failing because they are not used to this part of the business. They are just winging it.
I'm currently with a fast growing startup with 3,500+ employees where leave administration is done in house. I'd bet large sums of money that most aren't handling leaves correctly (I'm leaving so I no longer care).
My prior employer used our ancillary carrier. I was there and led the implementation with MetLife, and it was a struggle. I'm sure things improved, but I left 4 months into the plan year. Sorry, team 😅
The bottom line is everyone wants to cut corners. You can’t cut corners and budget . The staff must be versed on ADA and leaves in general. Things are always changing .
The best systems I have seen so far are Sedgwick’s/The Hartford’s . Can’t speak on Unium.
We use TAM. I don’t like it because they are slow to respond to employees and it takes them a while
to process their paperwork.
I work for a major healthcare company and we utilize leave source for all 77,000 associates. I have done both. (Work for a TPA, administer for national accounts and now do it for our own associates. You need to have a clear expectation of what your needs are. The more your needs and expectations ( the more it will cost you). You need a company that has a state of the art leave processing system, you will need to look into how often on average people call out. In one of my prior roles the account I worked on was a major car manufacturer and the employees called out often. The account set their own rules . They budgeted for only 2 people to work the account. This caused a lot of issues. They also allowed the employees 6 months to back track on prior absences . (A big mess ) . Be realistic in what you need. Look at the cost analysis on the basis of hiring more in house staff to administer leaves verses hiring a TPA. Will they be able to give you exactly what you need without breaking the bank. How long have they been in the business administering leaves ? What are their retention rates ? People will give good presentation however fail in implementing and hiring adequate staffing resulting in disaster in leave processing for your company.
Sedgewick
I would recommend looking into the employee experience as well.. when I was on mat leave, Matrix was OK, not so quick to get back to get back to me and I constantly had to follow up, but it was processed in a timely manner. My sister is currently on leave and going through the Hartford, and it has been horrendous. Her leave started in November and they JUST processed her paperwork. Every person she talks to, gives her a different answer on her eligibility and when her STD and FMLA is up.
Again this is what I touched upon in implementation process. Please believe it’s does not always mean their service is horrible . It’s the staffing chart. You cannot have 4 people handling FMLA/STD. They are going to be behind . The accounts try to cut cost resulting in this type of feedback.