Q1 2024 leave trends

Senior Counsel, Littler Mendelson

Ellen Donovan McCann’s practice is focused on complex multistate leave of absence and accommodation issues. She is a member of the firm’s Leave and Accommodation Practice Group. Ellen helps clients navigate and untangle the trickiest compliance issues with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state leave laws, company leaves of absence and Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) programs across the country. She also provides guidance on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act (PWFA) and similar state accommodation requirements.

Prior to joining Littler, Ellen worked for a Fortune 500 insurance company for more than 25 years. She was involved in the development of and provided continued legal support to the company’s leave administration services, which included administration of FMLA, state leave laws, ADA, corporate leaves and statutory PFML programs. In addition, she provided employment-related legal advice to human resources and executive management, with an emphasis on leaves of absence, paid time off programs, employee relations issues and restrictive covenants. Ellen also managed their employment-related litigation, EEOC and state charges.

She is a nationally recognized resource on FMLA, ADA, state leave laws, paid leave laws and PFML programs.

SVP, Global Talent and Inclusion, Unum

Kimberly Bowen is the Senior Vice President of Global Talent and Inclusion for Unum Group. For her team of 180 employees, she creates the strategic direction for talent management and the company’s inclusion and diversity initiatives. With more than 22 years of experience in human resources, Bowen has led talent acquisition and management, employee relations, inclusion and diversity, compensation, mergers and acquisitions and learning and development teams. Her career has spanned multiple industries, including retail, health care, third-party staffing, outsourcing and financial services. Bowen received her master’s degree in organization leadership and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from Indiana Wesleyan University in Marion, Indiana. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband and three children. She is secretary of the board for Chambliss Center for Children and Vice President of the board for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Chattanooga.