When employees suffer accidents or illnesses, it may become necessary for them to take a leave of absence on a short-term basis.

Offering short-term disability insurance for your employees enables them to remain free from worry about earning an income if they are sick or injured. This, in turn, makes the business an attractive employer and helps employers retain quality talent during adverse circumstances.

The purpose of this policy from TechRepublic Premium is to provide guidelines for implementing short-term disability options for employees.

From the policy:

A disability shall be defined as a condition that renders the employee unable to perform their job duties. Short-term disabilities will involve temporary conditions (lasting up to a year, though usually 12 weeks or fewer) that will be remedied through rest, treatment or rehabilitation.

Examples may include childbirth, surgery or recovery from an injury. It does not cover long-term conditions such as cancer, musculoskeletal, nervous system, organ, mental health or other severe chronic conditions or disorders.

If the employee is able to perform their job from home, arrange for them to do so and receive full pay and benefits rather than utilizing short-term disability coverage.