Managing employee absences can be a daunting task for employers and their people. From navigating complex legal requirements to ensuring seamless integration with other benefits, the challenges are numerous.
Why is managing leaves of absence so difficult?
- Complexity in compliance with federal and state leave of absence requirements. Every state has its own set of leave laws, many of which are regularly changing, and new ones regularly introduced. This can create a confusing landscape for employers to navigate.
- Employees and managers are unfamiliar with the leaves process and expectations. Leaves of absence are not used regularly. This makes it a complicated time for the employee and their manager when it does occur. Despite this, work still needs to be done during their leave.
- Absences impact other human resource processes. For instance, employee access to internal systems may need to be adjusted during their leave period. Additionally, benefits such as health insurance premiums and retirement savings may require transactions to ensure continuous coverage.
- Employee information housed in many different systems. Data is often housed throughout the employer’s ecosystem, making it difficult to gather and manage. Data about employees can be found in HCM systems, payroll systems, and timekeeping systems, all of which need to be communicated with the absence management administrator.
The intersection of employee absence management and benefits
Leaves of absence have often been isolated, grouped with long-term disability and life insurance benefits that are rarely utilized. Information about employee absence management is often hard navigate to for both the employer and the employee. These challenges create a negative experience in an already stressful situation.
However, employers are increasingly elevating absence management as part of their comprehensive benefits and wellbeing packages. It’s important that employees feel supported when taking time off to care for themselves or loved ones as part of a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Absence Management
Get the support you need to manage simple or complex leaves with respect, care and compassion.
A single platform for all employee benefits
An absence management program can encompass various types of leaves of absence, including FMLA, state leaves, paid leaves, company-specific leaves like military, medical, maternity, and parental leaves, as well as short- and long-term disability and ADA leaves. These leaves are often managed by different departments, making it beneficial to consolidate them for easier management.
Enter the Alight Benefits Advantage. The Alight Worklife® platform allows all benefit programs to be managed under one umbrella. This platform makes absence management accessible by integrating it with other aspects of the employee’s journey, such as health plans, 401(k) balances and more.
By embedding absence management into a familiar platform, employees can easily access the information they need when they need it. Alight Worklife provides clear to-dos, real-time information, and ensures that employees get everything they are entitled to, and nothing more.
Navigating the complexities of employee absence management can be challenging, but with the right tools and support, it can be made simpler.
The Alight Worklife platform is designed to provide a seamless experience for managing leave and other benefits, ensuring that employees and employers alike can navigate this complex landscape with ease.
Platform
Alight Worklife® for payroll is designed with insightful understanding and uses AI and analytics to ensure your people get paid both accurately and on time.
