Case Study: First National Bank of Michigan

Background

First National Bank of Michigan (FNBM) is privately owned by area investors and provides personal and commercial banking solutions throughout the state of Michigan. They have approximately 95 employees, and they had been using an online third-party to manage FMLA leave while processing ADA claims in-house. They transitioned to GTM’s leave management service in early 2021 to handle all types of leave requests from their employees.

Finding a Solution

FNBM needed leave management administration services that could:

• Ensure leave management complied with state laws
• Provide a single point of contact for leave requests and processing
• Meet deadlines for employee leave requests
• Ensure proper paperwork was sent and received on time

A Better Way: HR Consulting from GTM Payroll Services

GTM’s leave management administration service met FNBM’s needs and more.

Laura Reyna, vice president, needed a comprehensive service that could manage all leave requests from the bank employees, while providing them with a single point of contact. She also needed to ensure that all policies and procedures were in compliance with federal and state regulations, and to be informed of updates when laws were added or changed.

The Solution
In early 2021, FNBM began outsourcing their leave management to GTM.

“Without GTM, all the leave management would be on me,” says Reyna. “I really appreciate having an expert on changes in laws so we’re not missing anything.”

An extraordinarily efficient experience
Outsourcing your employee leave management to experts is an increasingly attractive and time-saving option as businesses struggle to manage the complexities of an ever-changing legal compliance landscape, manage and retain talent, and implement HR best practices that keep employees aligned with business goals. Smaller companies have little or no human resources infrastructure and may not be able to afford a leave specialist. Mid-sized companies may need additional HR resources and assistance but can’t justify hiring a full-time leave management professional.

By utilizing GTM’s leave management specialists, employers get help planning, tracking, and handling employee leaves, including administration, claims management, return-to-work support, and reporting, freeing up valuable time and resources.

“Our account manager Jan has been wonderful and instrumental in settling claims,” Reyna says.

Leave Management Services
GTM provides a secure, cloud-based portal for FNBM’s employees to open leave requests, from disability and FMLA to ADA and other accommodations. GTM then determines eligibility for the leave based on the employee’s tenure and location, and provides the paperwork necessary to begin the process.

“GTM provides our employees with clear instructions on how to request leave and what to expect from the process,” says Reyna. “Our employees are satisfied with the service and everything goes smoothly.”

Because all leave activities are documented and stored within a proprietary tracking system, cases are easy to manage, while also providing flexibility as cases can often change. The system also manages multiple workflows for different leave types and allows for customization. GTM’s leave specialists distribute all required notices, follow-up with carrier(s) for approval/denial of claim/case updates, and coordinate return to work with the employee’s HR manager.

Exceptional service and support
GTM’s leave management team is available when any issues arise, and alleviates the time-consuming process of handling employee leave requests in-house. Reyna also appreciates having one point of contact for all leave management.

“One big benefit with GTM is that we have a main point of contact,” says Reyna. “Jan knows and understands the Bank, instead of us getting a random person who isn’t familiar with our needs.”

Conclusion
With GTM Payroll Services, FNBM receives experienced, accomplished professionals that deliver expert leave management administration, helping to control costs, alleviate administrative burden, and mitigate risk to the company. By streamlining the leave process and improving the employee experience, GTM delivers value beyond expectations.

“It has been a pleasure working with GTM as they handle our leave management,” says Reyna. “I can’t think of anything I would change.”