Reimagining leaves of absence: erasing the stigma and delivering a stellar experience

Wellbeing has been part of the employee benefits conversation for decades. Increasingly leaves of absence are an important part of the wellbeing picture. Today, it needs to be part of something bigger: how we think about culture, trust and the full employee experience. Workers who rate their wellbeing positively are not only physically, mentally and financially healthier, they are more engaged and productive, too. And when they feel supported by their employer in achieving their wellbeing goals, their appreciation and loyalty skyrocket. They are more likely to stay and recommend the organization to others.

This is why leaves of absence should be seen as more than a policy or an administrative process. Leaves are a meaningful part of how an organization shows care for its people. Life happens and sometimes an extended time away from work is not optional, it is necessary to deal with a given situation.

The decision to take a leave of absence is often out of an employee’s hands. Injury, illness or disability could make it impossible to carry on their normal work duties, while jury duty, military service or the need to care for an ailing family member make it necessary to take time away from work. Joyous occasions, such as the birth or adoption of a new child, also provide a valid rationale for requesting a leave of absence, as parents take crucial time to bond with their new family member.

Such leaves are often covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandate that many employers provide job-protected leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. However, most employers also provide an array of voluntary leave of absence benefits, allowing employees to take extended time off for personal, educational or professional reasons. These include things like pursuing higher education, grieving a loss, taking a sabbatical, moving to a new home or volunteering in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Increasingly, employers are fielding requests for unconventional leaves related to such life events as pet adoption, illness or bereavement; adult gap years; or heartbreak leave for individuals going through a breakup. We are also seeing more openness around leave requests tied to experiences that may once have been dismissed or minimized. (For a deeper dive into these emerging leave types and how employers should approach such requests, read Jason Endriss’ Leadership Voices article, coming soon.) But whether the need is conventional or not, the bigger issue is this: employees want to know their workplace will respond with humanity.

While voluntary leaves are granted at the discretion of the employer and don’t come with the inherent protections of a legally mandated leave, they demonstrate care and compassion. As such, they serve as a valuable recruitment and engagement tool, improving morale and productivity not only among those taking leaves, but throughout the entire workforce. They’ve also been shown to improve overall wellbeing, a priority for employees and employers alike.

Overcoming obstacles

The case for leaves is clear, but employees are often hesitant to request one for many of the same reasons they leave vacation time on the table. They may feel guilty about burdening colleagues with extra work or believe that no one else can handle their responsibilities. Even worse, they may fear their boss will discover they aren’t needed after all, especially if the department continues running smoothly in their absence.

Frequently, employees worry that taking a leave of absence will make them appear less committed to the job, hindering advancement opportunities. Such employees may experience absence anxiety or “Fear of Switching Off” (FOSO) which leads them to obsessively check email or continue working while on leave.

The next frontier is Agentic AI. In the leaves space, Agentic AI will be able to coordinate the entire process: initiating the leave request, verifying eligibility, estimating pay impact, completing the required documentation and syncing payroll, benefits and return-to-work planning across systems. This will drive down administrative costs, speed up resolution times and create a truly seamless cross-benefits experience.

That’s not to suggest AI can replace the human touch in the leaves process. On the contrary, employees may need an authentic human connection more than ever when taking a leave of absence. The guidance and empathy they provide helps ensure a benefits experience that’s personal, relevant and human.

Maintaining connection

Managers have an important role to play in supporting the leaves process. They should be trained not only on the company’s leaves policies and process, but also on how to communicate in an empathetic way with employees who express a need or desire to take a leave. Granted, leaves can be disruptive for managers and their teams. There are the obvious questions about who will cover an employee’s duties while they are gone. Does the existing team have the skills, knowledge and bandwidth to handle the extra workload or will a contract or temporary worker need to be brought into the fold?

Creating a leaves-friendly culture will ease the burden on the manager, as the employee is likely to be more comfortable broaching the subject as soon as they start thinking about taking a leave of absence. Naturally, advance notification may not be possible in the case of injury or illness, but the sooner a manager can start planning for an employee’s absence, the smoother the process for everyone involved.

This is a culture-defining moment for leaders. Employers must start to think of leaves as a strategic benefit that plays a critical role in employee wellbeing, engagement and retention. Reimagining leaves as a core benefit builds wellbeing and trust, while reinforcing an organization’s reputation as a great place to work.