System and method for processing data relating to employee leave

Abstract

A computer system and computer-implemented method are provided for management of employee leave and absence policies. The system is configured to receive data related to an employee leave claim at a single point of contact. The single point of contact may be implemented as a single address for leave issues related to any type of leave, including for example for employment-related injuries compensated through workers compensation, short term disability, long-term disability, and other types of leave. The system may be configured to provide prompts to a user for claims relating to multiple types of leave. The system may be configured to furnish data to separate computer systems for administration of multiple types of leave. The system may be configured to provide communications related to employee leave claims between separate computer systems responsive to receipt of data from one or more of the computer systems.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer system for employee leave management, comprising:
 a leave management system processor;   a memory storage device in communication with the leave management system processor; and   a communications device in communication with the leave management system processor, the memory storage device and a computer communications network;   wherein the leave management system processor is configured to:   receive, from a user-accessible device, via the computer communications network, request data to initiate a claim for employee leave;   responsive to receiving the request data, determine the type of leave applicable to the request from at least a first leave type and a second leave type, and cause the user-accessible device to prompt the user for data specific to the determined type of leave;   in accordance with the determination, provide an output signal to transmit data relating to the leave to one of a first computer system for processing leaves determined to be of the first leave type, and a second computer system for processing leaves determined to be of the second leave type.   
     
     
         2 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the first leave type is workers compensation; the first computer system is a workers compensation claim processing system; the second computer system is a short term disability administration computer system; and the second leave type is short term disability leave. 
     
     
         3 . The computer system of  claim 2 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to:
 receive from the workers compensation administration computer system data indicative of a denial of a claim for workers compensation leave for an injury and, responsive to receipt of the data indicating the denial of the claim for workers compensation leave for the injury, provide an output signal to the short term disability administration computer system providing data for initiating a short term disability claim for the injury.   
     
     
         4 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to determine, based on the received leave claim data, whether sufficient leave claim data has been received to make a determination as to eligibility for leave of a third leave type. 
     
     
         5 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to, responsive to determining that sufficient leave claim data has not been received, prompt a user to submit additional data. 
     
     
         6 . The computer system of  claim 4 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to, responsive to determining that sufficient leave claim data has not been received, determine whether a time period to provide data has expired, and responsive to determining that the time period to provide data has expired, determine to close the claim. 
     
     
         7 . The computer system of  claim 6 , wherein the data to be provided within the time period comprises treating physician records. 
     
     
         8 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to provide outputs for prompts on the user-accessible device, requesting identification of a general reason for the requested leave, the general reasons comprising that the employee is injured, illness of a family member of the employee, and maternity of the employee. 
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 1 , wherein the leave management system processor is further configured to determine, based on the received leave claim data, whether sufficient leave claim data has been received to make a determination as to eligibility for leave of a third leave type, and, responsive to determining that sufficient leave claim data has been received, determine eligibility. 
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method for management of employee leave, comprising:
 receiving, by a leave management system processor, from a user-accessible device, via a computer communications network, request data to initiate a claim for employee leave;   responsive to receiving the data, determining by the leave management system processor the type of leave applicable to the request from at least a first leave type and a second leave type, and causing the user-accessible device to prompt the user for data specific to the determined type of leave;   storing received leave claim data in a memory storage device in communication with the leave management system processor; and   in accordance with the determination, providing an output signal to transmit data relating to the leave to one of a first computer system for processing leaves determined to be of the first leave type and a second computer system for processing leaves determined to be of the second leave type.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the step of determining by the leave management system processor the type of leave comprises determining that the leave is one of workers compensation, short term disability, long term disability, and Family and Medical Leave Act leave. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , further comprising, based on the received leave claim data, determining whether sufficient leave claim data has been received to make a determination as to eligibility for leave of a third leave type. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 12 , further comprising, responsive to determining that sufficient leave claim data has been received to make a determination, making a determination, and generating correspondence documenting the determination. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein: the first computer system is a workers compensation administration computer system; the first leave type is workers compensation leave; the second computer system being a short term disability administration computer system and the second leave type being short term disability leave,
 receiving by the leave management system processor from the workers compensation administration computer system data indicative of a denial of a claim for workers compensation leave for an injury and, responsive to receipt of the data indicating the denial of the claim for workers compensation leave for the injury, provide an output signal to the short term disability administration computer system providing data for initiating a short term disability claim for the injury.   
     
     
         15 . A computer system for disability management, comprising:
 a disability computer system processor;   a data storage device in communication with the disability computer system processor, the data storage device storing data relating to employee disability claims; and   a communications device in communication with a leave management system computer via a computer communications network, the leave management system computer being configured to receive requests for a plurality of different leave types, and to forward requests in accordance with a determined leave type;   wherein the communications device is configured to receive, from the leave management system computer, responsive to determination by the leave management system computer that a request is a request for leave based on disability of an employee, request data to initiate a claim for disability;   wherein the disability computer system processor is configured to, responsive to receipt of a request to initiate a claim for disability, proceed with disability claim processing.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer system for disability management is configured for management of one or more of short term disability leave and long term disability leave. 
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the disability computer system processor is configured to determine whether sufficient data has been received to make a determination as to eligibility for disability leave, and, responsive to determining that sufficient data has not been received, provide a request to the leave management system computer to obtain additional data. 
     
     
         18 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the disability computer system processor is configured to permit access to employee disability claims data in the data storage device in response to requests from the leave management system computer. 
     
     
         19 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the disability management computer system is further in communication with a workers compensation administration computer system, and is configured to receive from the leave management computer system data for initiating a short term disability claim for an injury, responsive to denial of a claim for the injury by the workers compensation administration computer system. 
     
     
         20 . The computer system of  claim 15 , wherein the disability management computer system is an insurance company computer system and is configured to receive, analyze, process and store data relating to short term disability coverage and long term disability coverage of employers insured by the insurance company.