New Aon Hewitt product helps manage, administer absence programs

Lincolnshire-based Aon Hewitt, launched 360 Absence Solutions, a comprehensive approach that combines risk analysis, design, planning and delivery to help companies more effectively manage their absence-related costs, compliance risk, administrative burden and lost productivity.

Aon Hewitt’s research and experience shows that undermanaged employee absences can often cost companies between 7 percent and 10 percent of payroll in financial terms alone. However, many companies, including those that have absence management solutions in place, say they are unable to calculate the total cost of absence in their organization. Other organizations report that they do not have the appropriate resources to measure or transform all of the dynamics that cause absence. In fact, recent Aon Hewitt research finds that 87 percent of employers surveyed do not measure the impact or cost associated with absences.

Aon Hewitt’s 360 Absence Solutions combines Aon Hewitt’s world-class data and analytics tools to analyze employers’ existing absence management programs and assess their absence-related risks such as regulatory compliance, attributed costs, administrative burden and employee engagement. Armed with this data, Aon Hewitt’s more than 700 absence management consultants provide companies with a holistic framework for developing and implementing integrated solutions that can help transform their absence dynamics.

“An effective absence management strategy is critical for employers, especially because having employees away from work is costly and disruptive. However, the design, compliance and administration of these programs have gotten so complex that even the savviest organizations have trouble effectively managing them,” said Cindy Keaveney, executive vice president of Aon Hewitt’s Absence and Productivity Management practice. “360 Absence Solutions combines our specialized expertise and sophisticated tools into a single integrated solution and takes the complexity of managing, tracking, quantifying and successfully administering employee absences out of the employers’ hands. It addresses absence problems comprehensively, so companies can operate more efficiently against the competition and positively impact workforce productivity.”

To provide a holistic and seamless user experience, Aon Hewitt recently launched the 360 Absence iPhone App, which enables workers to access information associated with their leave of absence or short-term disability in real time. Employees can use the app to perform a number of absence-related tasks, including submitting new claims, reporting time lost from work on an existing claim, accessing their current balance of available time and uploading documentation using the iPhone’s camera.

“Managing absence programs can be a confusing and cumbersome process for both employers and employees,” added Keaveney. “By leveraging our deep expertise and world-class platforms, we can empower results for clients with a comprehensive absence solution that drives better absence awareness and program outcomes, and gives employees an easier way to effectively manage their absences.”

To learn more about Aon Hewitt’s 360 Absence Solutions, visit www.360absence.com.