Leave disconnect: What employers get wrong about time off

October 28, 2025

Taking leave for health reasons should make employees feel better but new figures show that is not the case for some workers on leave.

Employers and their teams are not seeing eye-to-eye when it comes to employees' leave experiences, according to a new report, which underscored that the disconnect should put organizations "on alert."

Findings from The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America survey revealed that nearly eight in ten US employers rate the employee leave experience at their organization as "excellent" or "good."

However, just one-third of workers said their leave experience went very smoothly.

"Clearly, there's a disconnect between the experience most employers believe they're providing and the one their workers actually have," the report read.

"Given the beneficial effects on turnover, morale, and loyalty that a positive leave experience can have, this should put employers on alert."

Communication issues during leave

Employers are confident that they are doing very well on the steps to provide a positive absence experience for their employees, according to the report. These include:

Submitting the request for leave

• Approval of disability or the Family and Medical Leave Act leave

• Claims payment

• Communication across parties while on leave

But four in ten employees said they were surprised by how much they were involved in communicating with their doctors about the necessary paperwork during their leave.

Only 22% of employees also said they were adequately informed about the supporting benefits available to them during leave.

"This indicates that most employers either aren't communicating this information effectively or they lack a streamlined, single-intake claims process that includes benefits like employee assistance programs (EAPs) or supplemental health coverage, such as hospital indemnity or accident insurance," the report read.

Managers' impact on leave

Managers emerged as the most influential factor in the overall leave experience, according to both employers and employees.

Employees believe managers should receive training on the leave experience, and employers also recognize the importance of educating managers and supervisors about the leave process.

"Given the critical role managers play in making workers feel supported around the leave process, organizations should strengthen their manager education when it comes to their leave policy and process," the report read.

The report found that employees with a good leave experience are twice as likely to say their employer cares about their wellbeing.

They are also more likely to stay with their current employer in the next year, according to the report.

"When processes are streamlined, communications are clear, and there is a single point of contact for questions, employees are more likely to feel supported before, during, and after a leave, directly translating into improved morale and loyalty," said Jessica Vanscavish, Head of Disability, Absence, Life, and Supplemental Health at Guardian, in a statement.