Employee Leave Requests Are on the Rise

Employee leave requests have risen for the third consecutive year as employees take more time off to deal with illnesses, mental health challenges, and caregiving responsibilities.

More than half of employers (57%) reported an increase in employees requesting leave in 2024, according to recent figures from AbsenceSoft, a leave and accommodation management solutions provider. Of the employers who reported an increase, more than half (53%) experienced an increase of 21% or more. The length of a typical leave varies depending on the type of leave, according to AbsenceSoft, while company-paid leave policies can also vary significantly.

Although the pace of employee leave requests has slowed — 62% of employers reported an increase in the number of leave requests in 2023, while a whopping 96% did in 2022 — employee conditions and employer availability are contributing to the continuing increase.

The primary reasons for leave are recovering from injury and illness (57%), managing mental health challenges (47%), caring for an aging parent (37%), and taking parental leave (34%). The data highlights the growing responsibilities of the sandwich generation, as employees balance caregiving for both children and aging parents, said Seth Turner, co-founder of AbsenceSoft. It also emphasizes the need for HR to continually assess and enhance benefits to best support their workforce, he said. 

“There’s more need for leave benefits with the sandwich generation and their caregiving responsibilities, whether that is for young children or aging family members. It’s also important to factor in an increase in mental health conditions, which are driving significant volume and complexity,” he said. “Offering paid leave has made it possible for employees who perhaps couldn’t afford unpaid time off to take the time they need.”

Another factor compounding increased employee leave requests is that employers are offering more paid leave for employees.

“Availability of leave benefits from employers is one reason employees are increasingly requesting leave, plus the added awareness that the benefits exist as a result of employer communications,” Turner said.

Indeed, SHRM research has found that employers are putting more importance on leave, with the SHRM 2024 Employee Benefits Survey finding that leave — tied with retirement savings and planning — is considered the second most important benefit, behind only health care benefits. The vast majority of HR leaders (81%) said those benefits were “very important” or “extremely important.”  

Generally, the number of employers offering paid leave benefits has increased over the past several years. For instance, SHRM data found that 33% of employers offered paid leave to care for immediate family in 2024, up from 31% in 2022; additionally, 44% offered paid parental leave in 2024, up from 33% in 2022.

Mental Health

The findings from AbsenceSoft are in line with data last year from ComPsych, which found that mental health-related leaves of absence are surging in the workplace, up a whopping 300% from 2017 to 2023. The ComPsych data also found that female employees and younger workers, in particular, are driving the surge. 

Although increased time off to deal with mental health is significant for the workplace, it’s not all that surprising, said Richard Chaifetz, founder, CEO, and chairman of ComPsych, considering the series of stressful occurrences over the past few years.  

“Given the tumultuous events of the past few years — with COVID, ongoing international conflicts, civil unrest, and a volatile economy — it’s not surprising to see that mental health-related leaves of absence are up,” he told SHRM last year. Meanwhile, Chaifetz added, employees are dealing with their own sets of individual stressors, including caregiving and parenting challenges, work-related anxiety, and financial pressures.

A Challenge for HR

Ensuring there is available time off so that employees can deal with their needs is a good thing, Turner said, although it can complicate things for HR and other company leaders. There are a variety of complications that can arise from more employee leave, such as compliance matters and the need to make sure that productivity and business needs are met.

“The challenge for HR is managing volume,” he said. “It’s not only the workload but also managing a positive employee experience — making sure employees feel heard, supported, and receive timely responses throughout the process.” 

Staying compliant is also a concern, as there are hundreds of frequently changing leave laws across the U.S., including federal mandates such as the Family and Medical Leave Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as state leave laws. “With an influx of increased requests, keeping up with and checking compliance, along with eligibility, can quickly become overwhelming for HR teams,” Turner said.

Employers need to make sure they have the staff needed to deliver business results, and they also face the responsibility of maintaining workplace culture and morale for employees who are present while managing the impact of increased leave.  

Although employee leaves can be a challenge for organizations, it’s important for employers to ensure requests are properly handled, as positive leave and accommodations experiences have consistently been shown to boost productivity, satisfaction, and retention.  

So, how can employers get it right?

First, HR teams should help employees understand their leave benefits — letting them know what’s available, how it works, and what documents or communications are necessary for requesting time off. HR teams can use technology to automate requests, ensure compliance, and facilitate open communication channels, Turner said.  

He said that although the increasing volume of leave requests is a challenge, it also “offers an opportunity for employers to better understand employees’ needs and provide the necessary support.

“Providing leave benefits not only helps employees recover but also fosters stronger company loyalty and increases productivity upon their return,” he said.