The Ultimate Guide For Managers To Support Employees Throughout Leave

There are many ways to understand the type of organizational culture companies have. One of the tell-tale signs is how they manage employee leave or paid time off.

In the recently released Work in America 2024 Survey, only 60% of workers report that their company culture respects time off. The report also highlights that workers experiencing higher psychological safety are significantly more likely to report a culture that respects time off—76% compared to 46% among those with lower psychological safety.

When employees take paid leave, they are generally undergoing major life events.

How managers show up during this time tells a lot about culture. Before formally requesting a leave of absence and throughout the process, the type of support employees get can make a huge difference for people, teams, and the whole organization. Maybe you haven’t reflected on the relevance of leave management, so we hope this reading is food for thought and helps you address any existing critical gaps.?

This guide aims to help managers handle every stage of employee leave. It explores some of the most common challenges team leaders may face and offers practical strategies, tools, and best practices to help them manage leave complexities, prioritize compassion, and provide people with all the support they need.?

4 Challenges Managers Face When Supporting Employees on Leave

Leave management means solving many operational aspects, but emotions are also involved.?

For managers, employee leave management can come with a slight sense of overwhelm, especially if this is the first time for everyone involved. It’s tempting to focus solely on the logistics, schedules, and other details to ensure things run smoothly during a leave of absence.?

However, it’s important to be aware of all the challenges involved -for you, your employees, and their teammates- and understand how to handle things healthily for everyone while also being oriented to problem-solving. These are some of the things you must be prepared for:

1. Navigating Conversations with Compassion: Don’t let the operational stuff eclipse the compassion and support your employees deserve and need. When planning employee leave, it’s important to navigate conversations with empathy. If you are a manager, a simple “How are you feeling?” or “Are there any questions you have?” or simply letting them know you are there to help will make the leave-taker feel more comfortable, whatever life events they are facing.
2. Lack of Clarity About Processes: You may be uncertain about how the process should be handled. If you have doubts about the process, how pay works, or company policies or don′t understand the legal requirements, contact HR, Accounting, and Legal for further assistance. Make sure you are not missing any important steps.?
3. Balancing Team Workloads: During employee leave, you must reassign the employee’s tasks to ensure work continuity. Identify the essential work and delegate non-urgent tasks strategically.??
4. Ensuring Policy Compliance: There are numerous federal and state leave laws, some constantly changing. Ensure you stay compliant to avoid legal issues and fines that could harm your organization and affect employees. If your organization is based in the US, you can use this interactive tool that shows the Leave Laws by State to get clarification on updated leave laws being introduced across the country.

8 Strategies to Support Employees Before, During and After Leave

Organizations need a framework that guides managers and employees from the initial leave request through each phase of the process to a smooth reintegration into work. Here are some strategies you can put in place to cultivate psychological safety at work so that employees can open up and request the help they need, have all the information to plan their leave, and successfully transfer work to other members of the team.?

1. Create a Safe Space: Create a safe space for employees to share their needs. Instead of jumping to conclusions or moving forward with formal requirements when an employee says they need leave, take time to listen to understand their needs. This will provide you with precious information so your organization can better support them.
2. Respect Their Privacy: Everything employees tell you regarding their leave is confidential. If you have doubts about what information you can disclose, ask an HR partner to help you understand the organization’s leave policies. Ensure you are sticking to them and respect employees’ privacy.
3. Provide Employees with Resources: Give resources for employees to understand their options and entitlements so they can formally request and plan their leave with all the necessary information. Cocoon’s employee leave planner is a handy tool for employees, managers, and HR to guide employees through the process.
4. Develop a Leave Transition Plan: Craft a transition plan that clarifies roles and responsibilities, reassigns tasks, and offers team members the resources to take over the workload during their workmate's leave. Having a collaborative worksheet to document these details avoids last-minute confusion. Include contingency plans to overcome any unexpected inconvenience. For example, team members taking over tasks may not be familiar with some tools and processes. It’s wise to have recorded tutorials so colleagues can refer to them if needed.
5. Prepare the Team for Changes: Discuss with your team how the responsibilities will be distributed and who will cover specific tasks. Transparency is the best policy here: set expectations and ask team members how they feel about the changes. This feedback will help you reallocate the workload fairly and reduce potential frustration, preventing overload.
6. Help Employees Disconnect Fully: Set clear guidelines on communication during a leave of absence. Let your employees tell you their preferences and stick to them. Only communicate if the matter is strictly related to leave management itself. People should not work at all during their leave. Respect their time off and allow them to disconnect.?
7. Keep Track of Updates: Create a one-page document gathering all the essential updates on projects and developments during employees' leave of absence. This doc will be helpful to catch up with changes and can be used as a reference during a reintegration meeting. It’s a way of supporting your employees so that they don’t feel lost or overwhelmed when they are back to work.
8. Create a Warm Reentry Process: Preparing a supportive reentry shows that your company cares about employees. Schedule a one-on-one meeting to check in on them, ask them how they are feeling, and update them on all the news. Allow a ramp-up period so they can have a flexible schedule and reintegrate into work at their own pace.

Wrapping Up: Why Creating a Good Leave Experience Pays Off

Providing a well-organized leave process and compassionately supporting employees during leave is the right thing to do. But it also has long-lasting positive effects on people, culture, and organizations:

• Improved Retention and Loyalty: People who feel valued and supported during challenging moments of their lives build a strong sense of belonging and increase their long-term commitment to the company.
• Stronger Workplace Culture: A workplace that puts people first cultivates trust and forges an environment where people support each other, which creates a stronger culture.
• Increased Team Morale: A well-organized and supportive leave transition demonstrates that the company prioritizes well-being and work-life balance. When people know they will receive support when needed, collaboration blossoms and bonds within teams grow stronger.
• Reduced Compliance Risks: Having a clear framework to support employees during leave minimizes the risk of compliance issues, fines, and company reputational damage. Setting clear guidelines avoids potential missteps and promotes a good employee experience.
• Better Productivity and Engagement: When employees return to work and have all the support they need, they’re more likely to be engaged and productive. A warm reintegration makes it easier for them to transition back to their roles and empowers everyone in the organization to invest in their care, which results in a healthier workforce and better business outcomes.

Download the Manager Guide To Supporting Employees through Leave

Supporting employees through leave is a sign of a healthy workplace. Being empathetic also includes having things organized in advance. And here's a toolkit that will help you get organized!

Cocoon , the leave management software, has created this fantastic, free Managers Guide to help HR leaders and managers get the tools they need to create a seamless leave experience.

What's inside?

?? Best practices to set team members up for success before they go on leave

?? Tips for welcoming employees back with care and empathy

?? An interactive transition worksheet to plan ahead with your team

?? A template to stay organized with key updates during leave

With over 10,000 leaves managed through Cocoon, its team has learned what it takes to make sure employees feel valued during big moments of their lives—and how managers can make all the difference!

?? Download the guide here: https://bit.ly/4fEdhbL

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