For HR teams that are new to digital workflows, leave of absence automation can be intimidating at first glance. You’ll need to get familiar with new tools, get buy-in from the decision-makers at your organization, and won’t employees complain about having to use software instead of communicating with a real person?
The truth is, leave of absence automation benefits everyone when it’s done right. Your human resources team can ditch spreadsheets in favor of HRIS integrations. HR management can spend less time worrying about leave laws and compliance risks. And your employees can get instant responses to their most urgent questions.
Here’s how automation can streamline the entire process from start to finish, improving the employee experience and reducing your administrative burden.
Leave of absence automation is the use of HR software to automate some or all of the steps in the leave management process. From company leave policies to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), leave of absence management can be a tedious, time-consuming process for HR teams.
Leave of absence automation helps you:
For small teams, leave management software may seem like an unnecessary expense. But the larger your workforce and the more types of leave that you have to manage, the more pressing it is to implement comprehensive HR solutions. These tools streamline the leave process, performing multiple functions with minimal human effort.
With real-time notifications and automated leave tracking, you can reduce the impact of employee absences while supporting your team members’ health and well-being.
If you’re implementing leave of absence automation for the first time, then you may be wondering what to look for in a leave management system. Ease of use, organization, and time savings are all important, but what else should you consider?
Here are eight best practices to follow when implementing LoA automation:
First, what do your leave requests look like currently? Are employees writing them down on sticky notes? Posting them on a shared calendar? Once you move to a leave management platform, you’ll need to enforce a consistent, standardized system that applies to all of your employees.
This takes some of the guesswork out of LoA requests and allows you to use automation to approve straightforward cases automatically. Plus, when you use digital leave tracking, you can maintain a paper trail from start to finish.
Leave management platforms like Pulpstream are designed to help you keep up with federal and state leave laws, including FMLA and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They automatically run each request through a custom rule engine to assess eligibility through one or more specific leave laws.
But what about company policies? You’ll need to put them down in writing and add them to your leave management platform as well. From sick leave to remote work policies, an effective leave of absence policy helps keep your workplace healthy and engaged.
Traditional leave of absence practices are lacking when it comes to data security. It’s not ideal when employees are expected to add their appointments to a shared Google calendar. In fact, it may violate the FMLA or ADA confidentiality requirements, which require employees to store sensitive medical information separately.
Look for a leave of absence platform with strong security and data protection practices. That way, you can request medical documents directly within the platform and set up rule-based permissions so that only the right people can access them.
Your LoA process isn’t a standalone HR function: it’s closely linked to other processes, from onboarding to payroll. Digital LoA platforms support integrations that link multiple tools, reducing the risk of duplicate datasets and data silos.
With Pulpstream, you only have to enter employee information once, and then use it to pre-fill other forms and documents. Connect Pulpstream to your HRIS, HCM, or another workforce management platform so you can easily cross-reference data between your benefits administration, LoA, and payroll departments.
One of the most essential tools in any LoA platform is an employee self-service portal. This can reduce the administrative burden on your HR team by allowing employees to manage their own LoA requests without involving a staff member.
Of course, complex cases may require human oversight, but with a self-service portal, employees can log in to check their own leave balances, accrued PTO (paid time off), and other leave entitlements. They can upload medical documentation, submit FMLA forms, and more — all from their own laptop, desktop, or mobile device.
With a manual leave of absence process, you need to do everything by hand: filling out forms, writing emails, calling up medical professionals, and more. With LoA automation, you can maintain a database of templates that you can use for every possible scenario: ADA accommodation requests, FMLA designation notices, and other key documents.
Not only that, but Pulpstream can automatically generate and pre-fill forms using data that you already have, like an employee’s address and phone number. This saves you time and significantly reduces the likelihood of human error.
As your organization grows and you field more leave of absence requests, it’s important to monitor your HR systems to ensure they’re functioning correctly. Some of the issues may be on your end: are you failing to resolve cases promptly? Others, such as employee attendance issues, may have multiple causes.
Either way, you can use Pulpstream’s real-time reporting dashboards to identify patterns of absenteeism, address staffing issues, and take steps to improve workplace morale.
The paperwork doesn’t end when an employee is ready to return to work. In fact, it may require more, such as a fitness-for-duty certificate or an ADA accommodation checklist. You can use the same LoA platform to manage the return-to-work process and prepare your employee for a smooth transition back to the workplace.
Keep in touch with your employee via their preferred channel — such as email or SMS — and centralize communications with doctors, insurers, and other professionals.
Leave of absence requests are on the rise, and in many states, employees have more leave entitlements than ever. Leave of absence automation tools help you standardize your LoA processes and field requests in real time. Clear, consistent, and enforceable LoA policies support a healthy workforce and reduce compliance risk.
Pulpstream’s comprehensive HR platform manages LoA requests from start to finish. Assess eligibility for FMLA and ADA leave, enforce your own company policies, and request supporting documentation faster than your team can do by hand.
Plus, our self-service portal empowers employees to initiate their own requests and get instant responses, increasing employee satisfaction. With straightforward pricing and a clear ROI, Pulpstream can be a cost-effective part of your digital transformation.
Request a demo today to see how automation can make a difference!