Absence Minded

Get ready for a new chapter. We’re working on a fresh look and planning what’s next, with new topics and guest voices. We’ll be taking a short break before the next episode, but in this quick video, Brycie and Christine share what we’re working on and why it’s worth the wait. Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence management industry....

In this episode of Absence Minded, our team breaks down the real‑world differences between state-run and private paid family & medical leave programs and what employers should consider as new legislation rolls out across Maine, Maryland, and potentially Virginia. Recorded on March 2, 2026 Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence man...

The Department of Labor must be loyal listeners, because when you have two podcast hosts, you obviously need two new FMLA opinion letters. Christine and Brycie unpack what those January 2026 letters actually say about travel time to medical appointments (including caring for a parent) and where the line is between “quick errands” and non‑FMLA time. Recorded on February 2, 2026 Enjoy the commentary...

Brycie and Christine kick off the new year by diving into a back-to-basics refresh of FMLA leave policies. Drawing from hundreds of policy reviews, they break down the top five (plus a bonus) items commonly missing from employer FMLA policies and why tightening them up can save headaches down the road. Recorded on January 14, 2026 Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group...

Brycie and Christine cover different ways to calculate and handle FMLA increments that are less than the minimum. (True HR and absence management wonks may know this better as 825.205.)    Recorded on December 16, 2025  Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence management industry. You can listen to every episode on our website . Brycie...

Our experts take on paid parental leave policies, including various methodologies as well as unintended discrimination. We hope this episode spurs you to take a look at your current policies with a new perspective.    Recorded on December 1, 2025  Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence management industry. You can listen to every epis...

For this Halloween edition, a bewigged Christine and Brycie use words like brouhaha , scuttlebutt , and aggregious in discussing some of the really scary rulings in the world of leave management . . . like a $24 million payout. Beware: Don’t let this happen to you.    Recorded on October 6, 2025  Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence...

In their 2nd episode, Christine and Brycie get into it – the recent DMEC convention in Washington, DC; another round of scintillating PFML talk; and, the big topic, supplementation. (Plus a shameless plug for Christine’s upcoming DMEC virtual event on Wed., 10/1, which invokes the one and only Taylor Swift.)    Recorded on August 25, 2025 (literally the day before The Engagement)  Enjoy the commen...

Brycie and Christine introduce themselves as experts in leave management. Then they get right to it: new rules in PFML. They cover updated legislation in Washington, Colorado, and Minnesota, with a dash of “oh, for cute!” and TAXES, YAY, thrown in for good measure.    Recorded on July 15, 2025  Enjoy the commentary from these two experts from The Partners Group, a leading resource in the absence m...