It’s not easy to manage leaves of absence in higher education. As with any industry, employees are requesting leave more frequently. Handling these requests compliantly requires strict attention to the hundreds of state and federal laws governing leave and accommodation.
To make matters more complicated, many colleges and universities are now navigating the realities of multi-state employment. More employees in higher ed are working remotely and moving far from campus. Institutions that once easily complied with their own state’s laws now must contend with unfamiliar legislation from wherever workers are logging on. Employees may call in from one of the 13 states with mandatory paid leave programs, or one of the eight that provide paid family leave through private insurance.
With so much to consider far from campus, employers can’t dismiss what’s going on internally. AbsenceSoft’s higher ed clients say mental health is top of mind. As the taboo fades, employees are both more aware of and more willing to discuss their mental well-being. It’s no surprise, then, that 47% of employers say mental health, along with chronic illness, is a top reason employees ask for leave, according to AbsenceSoft research.
Unlike a standard injury or illness, these conditions and the leaves of absence they require are difficult to administer. They lack a defined return to work path. They offer no predictions into an employee’s ability to work. They often require intermittent leave, reduced work schedules, and accompanying accommodations.
In this article, we’ll discuss how colleges and universities can build a leave management program that resolves these challenges. We’ll highlight strategies and tools that will equip your team to tame its workload, boost efficiency, and improve the employee experience.
Why Leave Management Puts Higher Ed to the Test
Leave management is never easy. In the world of higher ed, however, it can be extremely challenging. Leave managers at colleges and universities must account for many different factors based on how their workforces are structured.
Take, for example, entitlement calculations. In some industries, determining an employee’s entitlement and eligibility is a fairly straightforward task. But leave managers in higher education must consider:
- A variety of job codes. Universities employ many different kinds of workers, from unionized staff to tenured professors. Employees may accrue leave at different rates based on job category, seniority, or collective bargaining agreements.
- Competing calendars and schedules. Some staff operate according to the academic year, while others follow a fiscal year. The difference can make entitlement calculations, eligibility assessments, and leave tracking quite complicated. Leave managers must also factor in non-standard work periods when employees take sabbaticals or extended summer breaks.
- Complicated work hours. Leave managers may struggle to accurately track work hours in the university setting. Administrative employees may spend time teaching, and professors may pick up classes or other forms of extra work.
Here’s the bottom line: Leave calculations in higher ed are complicated. They’re also critical. HR can’t afford to make mistakes and risk non-compliance.
Calculations aren’t the only thing complicating HR’s workload. Once an employee is out on leave, HR must take on the challenge of making sure operations continue. Some roles require replacement workers, and certain classes must be taught by specific professors. Coordinating these details is always tough, but the task is even more difficult when the absence is unexpected or reoccurring.
To learn more about the leave management challenges facing institutions in higher education, watch AbsenceSoft’s webinar, Away From Campus: Simplifying Leave Management to Support Faculty and Staff.
Why Poor Processes Threaten the Employee Experience
Employers in higher education must be incredibly cognizant of the employee experience. According to a poll by the TIAA Institute, a third of higher education employees surveyed in 2023 said they were likely to leave or consider leaving their institution in the next two years. That means employers must offer the best employee experience possible, or risk losing already flighty talent.
Universities can’t afford to overlook any element of the employee experience. It includes elements like workplace culture, benefits, and learning and development. Leave, too, is a powerful determinant in the employee experience.
When a leave of absence goes poorly, an employee’s relationship with their employer sours. Many mistakes can hamper the leave experience, but the most common are confusing or unclear processes, too much contact during leave, or pay mess-ups, according to AbsenceSoft research.
When issues like these arise, employees return to work feeling more than just frustrated:
- 51% said they felt less loyal.
- 42% said they were less motivated.
- 36% said they started looking for a new job, an especially troubling thought for higher ed employers struggling with retention.
Don’t worry: There’s some good news. When employers ensure their leave experience is positive, they don’t just eliminate the effects of a poor leave experience. They reap benefits that boost the bottom line.
Employees who feel valued and supported during their leave are ready to give their best when they return to work. AbsenceSoft research found that after a good leave experience, nearly half of employees felt more loyal to their employer. Forty-one percent said they were more loyal to their supervisor. And the same amount said they would recommend their workplace to others.
What kind of experience leaves employees feeling so positive? AbsenceSoft research revealed five top factors:
- Supportive and helpful managers
- Correct pay
- Supportive and helpful HR team
- Clear processes
- A clear and prepared return to work process
It makes sense that the leave experience has this profound an impact on the employer-employee relationship. When an employee goes on leave, they’re usually walking through a particularly stressful season of life. They may be experiencing an illness or caring for a loved one. They could be welcoming a new child. Or they could be fighting for their mental well-being.
Whatever the reason behind someone’s leave, it means a lot when the business side of leave is smooth, uncomplicated, and painless. When leave removes stress, rather than adds to it, it reminds the employee why they’re proud to work for their employer.
How Higher Ed Can Leverage Leave Technology
Just a few decades ago, leave management was a process that involved manila envelopes, calculation wheels, and long paper trails. That process — and the tools we use to manage it — look a little different now.
With modern technology, employers in higher education can streamline leave management from intake to return to work. Tools like AbsenceSoft make the process more efficient and more compassionate, reducing workloads and improving the employee experience. With AbsenceSoft, employers can:
- Modernize the intake process. AbsenceSoft comes with an employee self-service portal that allows employees to request leave from any device, at any time. This process is convenient for both employees and HR, who won’t have to field requests from email, messaging platforms, and word of mouth. Because the intake process is standardized, employees submit every piece of information HR will need to process their case.
- Make calculations easier and more accurate. With the AbsenceSoft Compliance Engine, HR can automatically and instantaneously calculate an employee’s eligibility and entitlements. Calculations account for different job codes, locations, and custom policies. By streamlining this process, HR can spend more time planning an employee’s return to work, finding replacement workers, and lending personalized support to employees.
- Streamline communications and paperwork. HR can automate communications in the AbsenceSoft platform, dispatching them via text and email. The system instantly attaches key forms to pre-generated communications based on an employee’s eligibility. Employees can also text completed forms and documents. The platform securely and centrally stores all paperwork, which are instantly retrievable.
- Facilitate return to work. With AbsenceSoft, employers can schedule automated notifications via text and email to make sure all stakeholders are prepared for an employee’s return. Employees can also submit digital forms via text or email before they come back to work, with incoming faxes automatically attached to cases. System automatically tracks return to work dates and deducts from remaining entitlement.
- Enable reporting. Leave management is often a thankless job. With data from the AbsenceSoft platform, however, HR can highlight its wins and losses to senior leadership. This information allows them to advocate for the technology they need.
Learn how your team can leverage technology to simplify the leave management process by downloading our explainer: The HR Guide to Higher Education Leave and Accommodations Management.
Purdue uses AbsenceSoft to centrally manage leave and accommodations for more than 15,000 benefits-eligible employees across three campuses. With AbsenceSoft, Purdue:
- Reduced time spent per case by up to two hours.
- Improved compliance with a complex workflow.
- Saved five to six hours per month on data and reporting tasks.
- Reduced overall administrative time spent by 35%.
“While each campus handles their leaves independently, AbsenceSoft allows all of us to be consistent in administering the programs and to pull more sophisticated reporting that helps us to make decisions on behalf of the Purdue workforce.” — Kristina Lane, Leaves Manager for all Purdue Campuses
How to Boost Efficiency with Workflows
Leave managers in higher ed have too much on their plates. Even on the hardest working teams, tasks slip through the cracks. An automated process uses workflows to ensure consistency without piling more work on HR.
Put simply, a workflow is a predefined sequence of tasks or processes that are automatically executed by a platform. Events within workflows are triggered when a previous event is completed, setting up a full sequence that can recreate an entire manual process.
Let’s say an employee requests a leave of absence. This action triggers a workflow that includes:
- An automated calculation of their eligibility
- The assembly of a packet
- The dispatch of that packet
The workflow may remind an HR member to check in with the employee eight days after the packet is sent. If the paperwork comes back before then, however, the workflow will stop and trigger a new flow of tasks that kicks off the certification process.
With AbsenceSoft, your team can build unique workflows for any process that is repeatable and standard, such as:
- Employee benefit levels
- All academic year employees
- All union-eligible employees
Workflows can save time while still making room for human touchpoints and HR reviews. Workflows can also auto-assign cases to certain team members who have expertise in a certain state law, union benefits, or case type.
Elevate Your Team’s Approach to Leave Management with AbsenceSoft
Your HR team is hardworking, efficient, and compassionate. But growing complexities make leave management in higher education a challenge to execute well without the help of technology. AbsenceSoft offers purpose-built software that colleges and universities have used to streamline leave management and improve the employee experience. To learn how your team could benefit, book a demo today.