This week on The Source we caught up Dan Jolivet, Workplace Possibilities Practice Consultant at The Standard. He is a licensed clinical psychologist who transitioned to disability insurance after 20+ years working in the healthcare industry.

Workplace Possibilities focuses on ‘stay at work’ and ‘return to work’ programs that assist employees who are struggling with medical conditions that might lead to a disability leave. Consultants work with employees one on one to come up with solutions to help them continue their job or get back as soon as it is feasible. He describes how “work provides people with a sense of purpose and community; that is extremely crucial to employee’s mental health.”

Dan explains how we have yet to see the long term affects the pandemic is having on organizations. He states that, “managing people in a remote workplace is truly a differenct experience. You cannot micromanage in a reasonable way…you really have to focus on the quality of productivity rather than the process…in the end managers turned into coaches or mentors.”

This virtual revolution is going to be a similar transition for our society, akin to the industrial revolution. The Standard conducted their Behavior Impact Study breaking down the amount of employees who struggle with mental health issues and other disabilities, especially in the wake of COVID19. Dan’s call to action is for employers to work with carriers and partners to expand disability insurance to see the greater potential of the workforce.