Outdated Leave Policies and Procedures Are a Hidden Equity Problem
As much as we’d all like to pretend it wasn’t the case, leave management hasn’t received the attention it deserves.
Often at the mercy of capacity, not a lack of compassion, it’s regularly relegated to an administrative nuisance or a compliance thorn in the side.
But that’s changing.
Today, forward-thinking HR leaders are recognizing that leave isn’t just about paperwork and policies, it’s a powerful lever for creating a more fair, supportive, and inclusive workplace.
When leave is managed inconsistently or built on outdated structures, it can quietly chip away at trust and equity. But when it’s done right? It becomes one of the most human-centered parts of your employee experience.
From disparities in how leave is approved and communicated, to a lack of clarity around who’s eligible for what and when, outdated leave practices introduce friction that affects morale, retention, and equity.
In short: leave isn’t just a policy issue. It’s a process and people issue.
Leave of Absence Inconsistency Isn’t Just Inconvenient, It’s Inequitable
When leave policies are applied unevenly, or simply left to interpretation, bias creeps in. Some employees get flexibility and wiggle room, while others get formally written letters and structure. Some hear “take all the time you need,” while others hear “are you sure you can be out that long?”
It may not be intentional, but it is consequential.
Leave policies that haven’t evolved in over a decade often rely on manual processes or vague documentation, which leaves too much room for judgment calls. And when those calls are influenced by someone’s job level, department, location, or how well they’re liked by their manager? That’s where equity breaks down.
And these inequities don’t go unnoticed. As Jessica Winder, SVP of People at Colab Software, put it: “Leave needs to feel supportive. If you’re just doing the compliance part of this, where it’s just, ‘this is your paperwork, this is what you do,’ people are not receptive to that right now. They want to feel like you care.”
The Real-World Impact of Outdated Leave Policies
Consider what happens when employees across different offices, or even on different teams, receive inconsistent information about how leave works. One gets a heads-up about job protection and pay timelines. Another has to chase down answers. One gets check-ins while they’re out, and another is met with silence.
The consequences are real:
- Lower morale: Employees who feel overlooked or unsupported are less likely to return engaged and more likely to spread disengagement.
- Higher turnover risk: “Am I valued here?” is a question employees ask quietly, but act on loudly.
- Legal and compliance risk: Leave laws are evolving rapidly. As Jen Henderson, CEO and Founder of Tilt, shared: “Every single day there’s more complexity put on HRs plate because this leave space is so dynamic.” Falling behind is no longer a manageable risk, it’s a liability.
Even organizations that think they’ve nailed their leave strategy may be missing the mark. According to a recent report, while many employers view their leave policies as strategic assets, nearly one-third (32%) said they don’t think employees understand them, and almost half (43%) admitted their policies aren’t helping with retention.
Let that sink in.
Outdated Leave Policy Structure Undermines Today’s Expectations
“Twelve years ago, it really was just ‘I’ll send you the documents, you send me back the documents, leave, good luck, let me know when you’re coming back,’” said Jessica. “Whereas now that’s not the case. People want to have conversations. They want to feel like you’re invested in them actually coming back because they’re juggling caregiving or mental health or whatever is going on in their real life.”
Employees expect more than a form and a file. They expect empathy, clarity, and consistent support. That means HR teams need to move beyond “what’s legally required” and start thinking in terms of experience equity.
The hidden equity gaps in leave management often surface around underutilized benefits, too. Studies have found that the usage rate for family care benefits is much lower than for parental care, in part due to a lack of awareness.
When employees don’t know what they’re entitled to, or don’t feel safe asking, that’s another form of inequity.
How to Modernize LOAs for Fairness and Function
To create a more equitable leave program, HR leaders can start with these strategies:
- Audit and align policies: Ensure policies are clear, current, and consistently applied across job levels, geographies, and teams.
- Standardize processes: Establish workflows that remove subjectivity and reduce guesswork, for both employees and managers.
- Make it personal, not just procedural: “Leave should be approached as a whole person experience,” Jessica reminds us. Policies should acknowledge the real-life complexity behind every leave.
- Train managers: Your people leaders are often the first (and most powerful) point of contact. Equip them with the tools to respond fairly and empathetically.
- Communicate proactively: Employees shouldn’t have to navigate a maze to understand their options. Make benefits visible, accessible, and human.
Tilt: Operationalizing Equity, One Leave at a Time
HR can’t do it all manually anymore, and they shouldn’t have to. As Jen puts it, “Let’s automate the automatable…so that humans can come to the forefront and be supported through any number of constructions of leave.”
Tilt helps HR teams standardize and streamline their leave programs with compliance baked in, clear workflows that reduce inconsistencies, and real-time communication tools that ensure no employee feels left behind. Whether it’s parental leave, family care, bereavement, or medical leave, Tilt helps HR teams deliver fairness without the guesswork.
Because equitable leave isn’t just about fairness, it’s about building a workplace where every employee feels seen, supported, and set up to succeed.
Bringing fairness to leave management is easier than ever.
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.
