There’s a reason nearly every HR leader has a leave of absence battle story.
Leave has historically been treated as forms to file, timelines to monitor, and compliance to uphold. But the reality is, leave is never just about paperwork.
It’s messy, deeply personal, and often unfolds during some of life’s most challenging moments. Today’s HR leaders have a chance to reimagine it not as a bureaucratic burden, but as one of the most meaningful ways a company can show up for its people.
“We all have our own war stories, or know someone who had a terrible leave experience, or companies that just completely blow the experience side of things,” said Stephen Huerta, host of the Modern People Leader Podcast in a recent roundtable with HR leaders and leave of absence experts.
Modern employees expect more, and rightly so. Leave isn’t just a matter of policy, it’s a litmus test of organizational values. It’s a symptom of cultural foundations that signal to an employee whether a company will support them when real life dictates that time away from work is necessary.
And for HR leaders, especially in growing organizations, this is a moment of opportunity. A chance to step out of reactive mode and into a role of strategic advocacy.
Leave Culture Is Company Culture
When someone’s navigating a new baby, a medical diagnosis, or a devastating loss, they’re not just watching how they’re treated; they’re experiencing how much their company actually supports them.
And so is everyone else.
“Some examples that I have personally seen,” said Jessica Winder, SVP of People at Colab, “is when someone goes on parental leave, but their manager continuously checks in, or needs updates from them on things that are going on. The manager didn’t do any prep before they left, so they say, ‘Can you jump on a call with me?’ And there’s a baby screaming in the background…that doesn’t feel good.”
Whether it’s a manager pinging a parent during leave, coworkers dismissing intermittent absences, or a returning employee being treated like a burden, those signals ripple. They influence retention, morale, and ultimately, reputation.
“That just hurt your culture, because other people are seeing this,” adds Jessica. “So it’s much bigger than the one person, one experience, because everyone is seeing what’s happening.”
This is where HR has the power to lead change. Because the issue isn’t just what’s written in the leave policy, it’s whether that policy is followed, understood, and supported at every level.
Your policy may say people have six weeks for a life event, but if a culture exists where they feel shame when they take it, people won’t take it, and both the employee and organization suffer the consequences.
The Evolution of Leave: From Paperwork to Advocacy
Stepping into strategic HR means shifting the focus from policy admin to people advocacy. That shift comes down to choices.
“So much of this is controllable,” says Justin Clifford, CEO of Bereave. “These are choices that we can make. If you’re thinking about leave… think about the choices your organization can make.”
Start by asking:
- Do managers know how to prepare for an employee’s leave and welcome them back?
- Is there a communication plan that balances transparency with boundaries?
- Are employees reminded of the benefits available to them before they’re in crisis?
- Does your culture match your policy, or contradict it?
Jessica’s team at Colab runs a weekly “Did You Know?” in Slack, spotlighting underused benefits. “Because a lot of people don’t think about it until they need it,” she says. And by then it may be too late.
Another option is to add critical HR resources to every HR team member’s email signature. As Justin put it, “It feels like such an easy thing to do…why not put it in the manager signatures as well?”
And then there’s training. “Managers have to be well-versed enough to notice and be educated to understand what looks and potentially qualifies for a leave event,” said Jen Henderson, CEO ot Tilt. “That means proactively preparing people leaders, not waiting until something goes wrong.”
Even with a minimal or less-than-ideal leave policy, companies can still create a positive experience by equipping managers with the right preparation, support, and processes. A strong framework can help bridge the gaps where the policy falls short.
The High Cost of Doing Nothing with Your Leave Process
Failing to treat leave with care and intention has real consequences. Jessica admitted, “I actually chose to leave an organization, because I knew when I wanted to have kids, that was not the place that I wanted to be.”
When leave is poorly handled, trust is eroded, and that’s not just for the person on leave, but for everyone watching inside and outside of your organization. You do not want to go viral on LinkedIn for a leave experience gone sideways.
When employees don’t feel supported through the hardest parts of life, they won’t stick around when their employer needs them most.
HR has the insight, influence, and proximity to change this. And the time to lead that change is now.
What Culture-Shaping Leave Support Looks Like
Shaping a leave culture that truly supports people starts with giving HR the right systems and the right support.
HR teams shouldn’t be stuck chasing paperwork, updating spreadsheets, double-checking eligibility rules, or fielding one-off emails about laws in states they’ve never stepped foot in.
When you’re ready to move beyond admin mode and lead the change, Tilt is here to make it easier every step of the way and bring that vision to life.
Tilt’s software and support give you the power to build a leave culture that supports people, starting with freeing you and your team from the spreadsheet grind. Gain the clarity and confidence to focus on what really matters: preparing managers, improving policies, and making every leave journey a positive one.
With automation, clear communication flows, and compliance built into every step, Tilt gives HR teams the space to move beyond task management and into thoughtful strategy.
It’s your time to shine by being there for your people when they need it most.
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.
