In This Post:
Presenters:
Seth Turner
Founder and Senior Advisor
The employee experience is all about how we take care of each other when life gets tough. Whether it’s dealing with a medical issue, worrying about mental health, or caring for a loved one, these times can be challenging. We all go through tough times. What makes the difference is knowing that we don’t have to go through them alone. Employees want to feel understood and supported, to feel seen and heard. They are also opportunities to build trust, loyalty, and a culture of care.
With intelligent automation, centralized case tracking, and self-service tools, AbsenceSoft empowers HR teams to deliver flexible, compliant, and personalized leave options, especially during moments that matter most. In search of better leave processes and ready to provide better employee support, the AbsenceSoft webinar last week shared practical steps for making the leave program a strategic asset. It showed how modern leave management drives retention and reduces risk.
We had the pleasure to hear from Seth Turner, Founder and Senior Advisor at AbsenceSoft, on how better leave management can drive measurable morale and productivity improvements. How the leave experience shapes employee satisfaction and loyalty.
About AbsenceSoft
AbsenceSoft is a leading provider of leave and accommodations management SaaS solutions. They deliver scalable, easy-to-use, and configurable software to easily and efficiently manage 200+ statutory policies like FMLA, ADA, and PWFA. Our platform streamlines and automates leave and accommodations processes, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations while elevating the employee experience.
Built by leave professionals, for leave professionals, AbsenceSoft is trusted by employers across industries, Third Party Administrators (TPAs), and Professional Employee Organizations (PEOs) to manage more than seven million lives. We are widely recognized for our top-tier customer service and robust customer community engagement.
Why Leave Can’t Be an Afterthought
Today’s workforce looks at leave differently and expects more: flexibility, empathy, and transparency in how time away is managed. What was considered for decades as a side concern, overshadowed by payroll, recruiting, and performance management, is becoming a crucial decision point today. Employees now prioritize balance, mental health, and caregiving responsibilities as much as their day-to-day work. Remote and hybrid work models, combined with the long-lasting impact of the pandemic, have reshaped how employees think about time away from work.
According to recent research, a growing number of employees are not only aware of their rights but also comfortable requesting leave.
When employees see their peers being recognized, it sets a standard and cultivates a sense of shared achievement.
It becomes crystal clear that organizations can no longer afford to manage leave with outdated processes where employees didn’t ask much from employers, where work dominated life, and leave was primarily used for illness and injury.
The Challenges of Leave Management
Managing leave is complex. The complexity comes from balancing compliance, employee needs, and operational demands. Some of the biggest challenges HR teams face include:
- Evolving State Leave Laws. Leave programs are already mandatory paid in multiple states, while in some states, they are included as voluntary programs.
- Overlapping Entitlements. Employees may be eligible for federal FMLA, state-level programs, company leave policies, and disability benefits all at once. Calculating time, pay, and eligibility across these intersections is a constant challenge.
- Increased Case Volumes. Year-over-year increases in leave requests, combined with growing demand for mental health and caregiving leave, put HR teams under pressure.
- Compliance Risks. Strict timelines for notices, form submissions, and certifications make it easy for organizations to fall out of compliance without automated systems in place.
Without a strong framework, HR professionals can quickly become overwhelmed, increasing the risk of errors, delays, and ultimately, employee dissatisfaction.
Leave Management Impact
Leave directly influences how employees view their employer, and it sends a powerful message about how much they respect and care for their people.
A positive experience can boost morale, loyalty, and retention. Employees who reported a positive experience overwhelmingly pointed to one factor: clarity. Employees feel supported and valued when the process is smooth, transparent, and predictable.
Conversely, a poor experience may drive employees to disengage or even leave the company. Nearly half of the employees who reported a negative leave experience cited confusing or unclear processes as the main reason. Ambiguity around eligibility, inconsistent communication, and delays in approvals all erode trust.
The Role of Technology in Transforming Leave
Organizations are increasingly turning to technology-driven leave management platforms to keep pace with the growing complexity. By leveraging automation and data-driven insights, HR teams can shift their focus from chasing paperwork to providing real human support during critical times in an employee’s life.
- Streamlined Intake. Self-service portals allow employees to submit leave requests anytime, anywhere, with guided steps to ensure all necessary information is collected upfront.
- Automated Eligibility Calculations. Integrated systems can instantly determine an employee’s eligibility across federal, state, and company programs, reducing errors and delays.
- Simplified Communication. Automated notifications and digital forms ensure employees receive timely updates and have easy ways to submit required documents.
- Return-to-Work Support. Platforms can schedule reminders, notify managers and IT teams, and generate forms in advance to make the transition back to work smooth.
- Centralized Case Management. All leave requests, communications, and documents are stored in one place, ensuring consistency and compliance.
When evaluating leave management systems, organizations should know that all solutions are not created equal. The right solution empowers employees and HR teams, ensuring that leave management is a strategic advantage. That is why they should prioritize solutions that offer:
- Automation to reduce manual work and minimize errors
- Built-in compliance with federal and state leave laws
- Accurate usage tracking down to hours or even minutes
- Centralized case management with easy access to records
- Actionable data and insights through dashboards and reports
Get in touch with AbsenceSoft today!
Leave management is a cornerstone of employee experience. Employees today expect clarity, fairness, and empathy when requesting time away from work. By embracing modern technology and proactive processes, organizations can reduce compliance risks, support their people more effectively, and build stronger, more resilient workplaces.
At the end of the day, leave is about people. And when employees feel supported during life’s most important moments, they return to work more engaged, loyal, and ready to contribute.
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