Who we help

This program is designed to help currently working employees who are experiencing discomfort at work or difficulty performing their job tasks due to a serious health condition.

While not all disabilities can be predicted or avoided, New York Life Group Benefit Solutions understands that many of the conditions that lead to work absences are known and under medical care for months before a disability claim is filed.

Who is a good candidate for the program?

You don’t need to know what the employee’s diagnosis is in order to determine if the employee is eligible. If you suspect the employee may need help—based on observations you’ve made or things you heard the employee say—tell the employee about the program and make a referral, if the employee agrees. The employee can talk with the NYL GBS Healthy Working Life® vocational coach to determine if the program is right for him or her.

Here's a simple checklist to help you identify potential candidates for referral:

Employee must:

• Be covered by a fully insured New York Life Group Benefit Solutions long-term disability plan.
• Currently be working full- or part-time.
• Have an ongoing serious health condition, something that puts the employee at risk for absences.
• Not have a pending active, or in-appeal, workers' compensation claim for the serious health condition connected with the referral.

Employee is:

• Calling out sick, coming in late, or leaving early due to the health issue(s).
• Struggling to complete job tasks.
• Complaining of pain or discomfort on the job.
• Asking for new or different equipment to be more comfortable.
• Known to have been absent in the past due to the same health condition.

Who and what are excluded from the program?

• Employees who are experiencing temporary pain due to a temporary health condition such as a one-time mild back strain.
• Replacement of ill-fitting equipment or poor workstation design due to the employee’s body size.
• Requests to replace standard office equipment that is malfunctioning or in a state of disrepair—for example, an office chair that is stuck in the lowest position.
• Continued work with an employee who has not agreed to participate with a vocational coach. Participation requires signing an authorization permitting the release of necessary information to NYL GBS.

Note:

NYL GBS Healthy Working Life pre-disability vocational services is a voluntary program. Employees must agree to participate and be willing to sign an authorization that allows NYL GBS to communicate recommendations to the employer’s contact and review health and wellness or vocational resources.

Employees on intermittent Family Medical Leave whose leave is being managed by New York Life Group Benefit Solutions may be referred to the Healthy Working Life® program by NYL GBS leave managers ONLY. This ensures that employees receive just-in-time services without delay and does not interfere with the employee’s right to use family medical leave.

NYL GBS may make direct referrals into the program for employees participating in other NYL GBS programs—such as health management programs.