Employees taking intermittent time off to care for themselves or for sick family members under the Family and Medical Leave Act are nearly three times more likely to file a subsequent short-term disability claim within six months than employees not taking FMLA leaves, according to findings from a four-year study by Reed Group, a company specializing in leave administration and return to work management.

As part of its study of more than 112,000 FMLA claims closed between 2008 and 2011 Reed Group found the following: 51 percent of all FMLA claims involved intermittent leaves; and employees on intermittent leaves are more likely to file a short term disability claim within the following six months, (21 percent) than those on continuous leave (8 percent).

The most common reasons for disability following intermittent leaves are musculoskeletal conditions and behavioral health problems.

Employers should use FMLA claims as a gauge for the need of employee assistance programs and offer programs that specifically address the employee needs associated with the most common FMLA claims within their company; by integrating FMLA management with a company’s existing health management programs, (such as employee assistance programs, wellness programs, disease management services, and health coaching) employers can reduce short term disability incidence, duration and costs, says Kevin Curry, senior vice president and national practice leader for Reed Group.