The impact that HR has on organizational success can no longer be refuted, and yet still, many leaders are faced with roadblocks when it comes to getting recognition for the vital work they do.
Advancing in your career is rarely a linear process, but with the perception of HR shifting from a reactive to a proactive function, now is the time to take advantage of tools that can put you and your team in an appropriate position to shine.
Leave management, for example, has historically been seen as an administrative “have to have” capability that kicks in when an employee requests a leave and kicks off an avalanche of tedious manual tasks, calculations, and compliance checks.
Through integration and automation, modern leave management solutions are transforming this struggle-fest of a function into a strategic advantage for organizations, and an opportunity for HR teams to elevate their teams, improve processes, and more strategically move the proverbial needle.
How Can HR Streamline the Leave Process and Reduce Errors?
The least controversial thing you’ll read on the internet today is that manually administering leaves of absence is time-consuming and prone to errors. Inaccurate pay calculations and missed deadlines and compliance risks…oh my.
These inefficiencies create extra work for your team, leading to frustration, lost productivity, and the potential of costly lawsuits for your organization.
Automated leave management tools streamline these processes by eliminating manual data entry, ensuring accurate tracking, and ensuring compliance every step of the way. This reduces the administrative burden on HR, minimizes costly errors, and frees up time for teams to focus on strategic, higher-value tasks.
The result is increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and a smoother employee experience throughout the leave process.
Of course, all technology “should” make your day-to-day easier, and leave software is no exception. However, the reduced administrative burden on you and your team is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how you can leverage leave software.
Leveraging Leave Data for Strategic Workforce Planning
Modern leave management software provides real-time data and analytics on employee leave trends and workforce gaps, giving HR leaders the insights they need to make more strategic decisions.
By monitoring leave patterns and having a holistic view into all upcoming leaves, you can proactively allocate resources and ensure adequate staffing during periods of increased leaves.
This reduces the risk of workforce shortages and keeps operations running smoothly, even when key employees are on leave. The ability to foresee potential gaps allows you to align your workforce with organizational needs, creating a more agile and resilient operation.
This data-driven approach helps HR level up because instead of responding to issues as they arise, you and your team can use leave data to plan for the future. With these insights, you can position yourself as a strategic partner within your organization.
A strategic partner that is finally recognized as vital for sustained growth.
Your ability to leverage this information will allow you to contribute to higher-level business goals, from improving productivity to optimizing workforce efficiency, elevating your impact and trust throughout the organization.
Leave Software for Compliance Confidence and Reduced Risks
Do you know what organizations love more than earning money? Not losing the money they’ve earned due to employee lawsuits that could have been avoided.
This leads us to the second-least controversial thing you’ll read today, which is that leave compliance is complex.
With evolving laws and regulations that vary by state, industry, and employee type, HR teams are tasked with keeping up-to-date on these rules while ensuring proper documentation for every leave request.
Manual leave law Google searches and data tracking increases the risk of non-compliance, leading to costly employee lawsuits and penalties. What kind of penalties are we talking about here?
Well, the average cost to defend an FMLA lawsuit is approximately $75,000, regardless of the outcome. This includes attorney fees, court costs, and other related expenses.
If you lose an FMLA lawsuit or settle out of court, the costs can be much higher:
According to the EEOC, employees who successfully sued for wrongful termination based on FMLA absence received on average between $87,500 – $450,000 in damages.
All this to say that the right leave management software simplifies this process by tracking all current legal requirements and incorporating them into the platform, managing documentation securely, and ensuring compliance with relevant laws, reducing the chance of errors.
By minimizing legal and financial risks, HR not only protects the organization, but also builds trust with employees and leadership alike. When leave compliance is seamless and stressless, HR gains enhanced visibility and reliability when handling critical, risk-laden processes.
Demonstrating your value by supporting both the workforce and the organization’s long-term success through leave compliance will contribute immensely to your professional upward movement.
Can HR Leverage Leave to Improve the Employee Experience?
Improving the employee experience through better leave management isn’t just good for employees, it’s good for business.
According to a recent study from Tilt, employers who leverage a dedicated leave vendor noticed:
- An increase in employees hitting their OKRs in the year following their return from leave
- A reduction in employee turnover
- An increase in the amount of leave they offered
There is a strong correlation between an employee’s experience while on leave and organizational growth, which is why relying on leave experts to help manage the process delivers the best of three worlds:
- Fewer administrative burdens on HR
- Better experiences for employees during their time of need
- Scalable business growth
Modern leave management software creates a smoother, more transparent process, allowing employees to easily request leave and track the status of their journey from beginning to end.
By automating workflows and relying on leave experts for support, HR can provide employees with timely, consistent responses to any questions that might arise, reducing confusion and stress for employees navigating the leave process.
Employees value the clarity and consistency of a secure and automated leave process when compared to the confusing, and sometimes scary, experience of going through leaves the traditional way.
When employees feel supported and confident in the leave process, they are more likely to trust their employer, stay loyal, and contribute positively to the workplace.
Elevating HR's Role as Strategic Partners Through LOAs
Automated leave management is transforming HR teams from administrative processors to strategic partners within their organizations.
Solutions like Tilt free up HR from time-consuming tasks, allowing them to focus on larger initiatives, such as improving employee experience, optimizing workforce planning, and driving innovation across departments.
By automating the complexities of leave compliance and documentation, Tilt strengthens organization resiliency while streamlining processes, positioning HR as leaders in operational efficiency.
This shift gives HR the reputation and freedom to contribute to broader business goals that drive the business forward (which will look slightly different for every organization).
As an HR leader you play a crucial role in shaping the future of your organization and leveraging modern leave management tools is imperative in helping you do just that. Tilt’s software and 1-1 human support for employees enables you to manage leaves of absence efficiently and empathetically while ensuring compliance with ever-changing regulations.
By demonstrating how effective leave management can positively impact overall business operations, HR leaders solidify their position as strategic partners, essential to the organization’s long-term success.
About Tilt
Tilt is leading the charge in all things leave of absence management through easy-to-use tech and human touch. Since 2017, our proprietary platform and Empathy Warriors have been helping customers make leave not suck by eliminating administrative burdens, keeping companies compliant, and providing a truly positive and supportive leave of absence experience for their people.
