A helpful guide to absence management in 2024

Employee absences are a normal part of running a company, and supporting adequate paid time off (PTO) is key to being a good employer. And just as you want team members to be able to take days off when they need to, it’s critical to have strong absence management policies in place.

These guidelines set clear expectations for time-off requests, promote fairness, and help avoid team disruptions — whether employees are sick or on vacation.

In this post, we’ll discuss the importance of absence management for businesses of all sizes and share best practices to help you implement effective policies for your company.
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🏖️ Implement a robust absence management process

Leapsome’s new HRIS can streamline absence management with features like leave calendars and easy PTO requests.

👉 Explore Leapsome HRIS 

What is absence management? 

Absence management is an umbrella term encompassing an organization’s absence-related policies, procedures, and programs — as well as tools the company may use to track, approve, and review different kinds of absences.

‍The goal of absence management isn’t to prevent employees from taking time off — everyone needs a break. Instead, it aims to minimize disruptions, monitor employee data like days of leave taken compared to earned time off, and establish streamlined processes for managing leave requests.
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What are the different types of workplace absences?

There are multiple kinds of workplace absences, and you should account for each one in your policies. Common types include:

• Planned leave — including PTO, parental leave, paid sabbaticals, and extended medical leave 
• Unplanned leave — absences due to illness, bereavement, and other personal emergencies.
• Absent without leave (AWOL) — when employees don’t report for work without reason or communication

Certain types of leave, like parental or medical, may be protected by local or federal laws. For example, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) in the United States entitles employees with qualifying eligibility to up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a series of family and medical situations. In addition, in the European Union, parents have the right to a minimum of four months of parental leave each, with at least two being paid. On top of that, many EU countries regulate that policy with additional leave; in Spain, parents can take four months of paid parental leave each and request reduced hours for childcare when they return to work.
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How effective absence management benefits organizations

Absence management programs should never be about cutting down on PTO or sick leave allowances. A supportive work environment is crucial to employee well-being and work-life balance, and time off plays a key role.

Effective absence management offers clear benefits to your organization, such as:

• Planning for absences in advance (where possible) — for example, budgeting for necessary freelance support to avoid overloading colleagues.
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• Creating a positive company culture that respects the importance of work-life balance by encouraging employees to take time off as needed.
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• Providing your team with clear policies about the different types of leave and time off request processes to improve internal operations and avoid people feeling confused or frustrated. 
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• Reducing absenteeism and burnout, which can make the workplace more enjoyable and productive. 
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5 essentials for excellent absence management

When your HR team is ready to establish or improve your absence management program, consider the five considerations below for a smooth and people-centered process.
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1. Have a clear absence policy

Different companies need different things out of their absence policies; consider your people’s needs and local regulations to ensure compliance, fairness, and employee satisfaction.

Your absence policy should address:

• Eligibility for different types of leave
• Amount of leave available for each type of absence
• Notification and request processes for planned and unplanned leave
• Rules regarding how many employees on a set team or within the company can take scheduled time off at once
• Whether your company needs to limit vacation during peak seasons for your industry

💡 Leapsome’s new absence management tool helps businesses implement clear absence management policies, simplifying the process for employees and HR teams.

2. Use an absence management tool to record & review absences

Dedicated absence management solutions — or platforms that integrate with existing HR and employee management software — are invaluable for tracking and managing leave.

Advanced absence management tools allow companies to track absences and review accrued time off, enabling employees to submit time off requests. People-centered, end-to-end HRIS software solutions like Leapsome often have capabilities like these, making absence management a small task instead of a major hassle. 
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3. Train managers on handling team absences

Make sure that your managers get dedicated training on your absence management guidelines. You might leverage a tool like Leapsome Learning to deliver training through videos, quizzes, and other training materials.

Above all, ensure that managers comply with your established internal policies and applicable laws. For example, a team lead might unjustifiably deny a team member’s time off request or pressure a report to return to work from leave. Both situations could result in unhappy employees, HR complaints, and legal complications.

It’s also advisable to provide managerial training on the following:

• Scheduling check-ins with reports after an extended absence
• Adjusting workloads and delegating tasks to account for absences
• Reviewing the company’s absence policy with team members (especially recent joiners)
• Knowing how to identify employees who may be taking advantage of leave policies
• Modeling great communication skills and absence practices
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4. Investigate the root cause of absences

While many absences don’t indicate a problem, patterns of unplanned leave could indicate deeper issues — like workplace dissatisfaction or even burnout. Managers and HR must look for trends and use employee feedback surveys to uncover underlying causes.

Research has shown that when team member satisfaction decreases, absenteeism increases — and higher job satisfaction results in an average 78% decrease in absenteeism.

Leapsome Surveys can help you monitor trends across your company, giving insight into why you’re seeing more unexpected absences than usual. You might ask questions to assess overall job satisfaction, possible stressors, and common causes of increased leave.

💡 We recommend making surveys anonymous to make people more comfortable sharing their honest perspectives

5. Comply with federal & local regulations 

Most countries — and some regions — have specific labor regulations related to workplace absences and leave. They may require eligible employees to take certain amounts of time off within a given period or include measures that protect a person’s job during an extended leave.

It’s crucial to build your absence management program around any labor legislation that applies to you. Your human resources team is likely already familiar with the local laws that impact team members and will stay up-to-date on any changing regulations as part of their routine responsibilities; however, it’s also necessary to consider laws that may affect teams spread across different countries. When in doubt, seek legal counsel to ensure your policies are compliant. 
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Promote organizational & employee well-being with great absence management 

Absence management is a critical component of business operations. It can help you better allocate resources, meet scheduling and legal requirements, and provide your people with the time off they need to thrive. 

Let’s recap! To implement a top-notch absence management process, you must: 

• Create clear, fair, and compliant policies — Ensure your policies are easy to understand, meet legal standards, and promote fairness across the board.
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• Train managers on implementation — Equip managers with the tools and knowledge they need to enforce policies consistently and support their teams through absences. 
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• Leverage an absence management platform:  Use an HR tool to track, manage, and streamline the process, making it easier for employees and HR teams.

This approach enhances organizational and employee well-being, boosting engagement, productivity, and retention.

Best of all, a comprehensive, people-first HR platform like Leapsome can help you manage core HR tasks — from absence management to engagement initiatives like feedback, development, and surveys — in one intuitive system. 
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🙌 Streamline your leave management processes

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