The Harvard Business Review shared the results of a global survey on disability inclusion¹ that only 20% of the 5,870 employees with a disability surveyed felt their workplace culture is fully committed to helping them thrive and succeed.

As managers, we play an affirmative role in creating a supportive environment for our employees and workplace.  Come learn about the new countywide disability management framework being used in all departments and how you as a manager can provide your employees with stay-at-work support that will allow them to remain on the job, or return to the job in a safe and productive manner.

Participants will:

• Understand the new disability interactive process
• Learn about their own role and decision-making responsibility in the disability management process
• Define key disability management terminology (disability, restriction, accommodation, interactive process)
• Learn to recognize triggers that require managers to notify their Disability Management and Compliance Coordinator 
• Recognize the different steps required for a temporary disability versus a permanent disability.
• Hear real examples of interactive processes held in LA County and how accommodations were identified

Speakers:

Maggie Martinez

Assistant Director - Department of Human Resources

Maggie Martinez is an HR professional with over 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit and public sector arenas. As human resources director at AIDS Healthcare Foundation, she oversaw all personnel functions for an international healthcare organization with more than 700 healthcare and retail operations employees across the globe. As director of human resources at First 5 LA, she oversaw all personnel functions for the public entity. Just prior to joining the County of Los Angeles, Maggie was the Director of HR Business Support Services for L.A. Care Health Plan, with oversight of the HR Business Partner Program, internal investigations, leave management and disability compliance. Prior to working in the field of human resources, Maggie worked as a deputy to both State Senator Art Torres and to then Assemblymember Richard Polanco. A second-generation Angeleno, Maggie received her bachelor's degree in English Literature from Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA.

Bryce Tyler

Departmental Human Resources Manager, Internal Services Department

Bryce began his County career in June 2005 with the Department of Public Works as an Administrative Assistant I in the Environmental Programs Division.  In August 2008, Bryce was promoted to the position of Departmental Civil Service Advocate with the Internal Services Department (ISD) beginning his County experience in Human Resources (HR). Bryce has 15 years of HR experience in the County and since September 2019 has been the Departmental Human Resources Manager (DHRM) III with ISD.

During his time as a DHRM, Bryce has been a results-driven leader who focuses on team building, professional development, and innovation. In 2015, Bryce completed the Executive Leadership Development Program and beginning in 2017, served on the DHRM Committee in various roles, ultimately serving as the Chair of the Committee for 2018 and a portion of 2019. Bryce is a graduate of California State University of Long Beach, with a degree in Political Science. He is an avid sports fan and enjoys spending time with his family and friends.

Rashae Walsh

Principal Analyst – Department of Human Resources

RaShae Walsh is an HR professional with almost 20 years of experience rooted in delivering “knock your socks off” customer service She started her career at Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a support staff in Human Resources and quickly learned she had a knack and interest in supporting staff when they are most vulnerable and need a leave of absence Taking on this responsibility propelled her to grow and become the subject matter expert at several large organizations. She oversaw the leave function at Paul Hastings law firm where she expanded her knowledge nationally As the Leave Partner at L A Care Health Plan, she developed the foundation that was critically needed to manage the leave of absence, disability compliance, and workers’ compensation functions Prior to joining the County of Los Angeles, RaShae was the Sr HR Business Partner for Ontrak Health, an AI and technology driven behavioral health company, where she once again brought to the forefront the critical disability compliance component. RaShae received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management Science from California State University, Fullerton

Emily Chang

Human Resources Analyst IV, Department of Human Resources

Emily Chang is an HR professional with 10 years of experience in disability compliance, performance management, and classification/compensation.  Her first exposure to HR was disability compliance. Like many starting in this specialty, she second-guessed her decision to take on the role. Emily quickly realized that work in this field came intuitively to her. She found a space to make a big impact by narrowing the knowledge gap, advocating for vulnerable employees, and empowering decision-makers to think outside the box. She now leads the Countywide Disability Management and Compliance Team that provides consultations to departmental HR teams. Before transitioning to human resources, Emily managed a variety of contracts and programs. She headed the School Garden Program which won the National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Award. Emily has gained a broad perspective of the County while serving in the Sheriff’s Department and the Departments of Human Resources, Public Health, Public Works, and Health Services. She received her bachelor’s degree in Management Science from the University of California, San Diego.

(1) Henneborn, Laurie. "Make It Safe for Employees to Disclose Their Disabilities." Harvard Business Review. June 28, 2021. https://hbr.org/2021/06/make-it-safe-for-employees-to-disclose-their-disabilities