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6 leave of absence management vendors to consider
Managing employee leaves of absence can be complicated and involves staying compliant, among other requirements. Learn which vendors offer leave of absence management tools.
Employee leaves of absence require employers to manage the leave with the worker, comply with legislation and communicate internally with affected teams. Some software products can help companies carry out this complex process.
Some vendors offer services related to legislative requirements, such as displaying information about applicable laws in the application and flagging potential issues. Some applications also include functionality such as timesheets and labor forecasting that may be more accurate and helpful once leave data is incorporated. While some HR information systems provide leave management features, the list below includes only vendors that specialize in leave of absence management functionality.
Vendors are listed in alphabetical order, and the below list was determined by reviewing websites such as Gartner, G2, TechnologyAdvice and Capterra, as well as vendor websites.
AbsenceSoft
AbsenceSoft helps users manage employee leaves. The platform focuses on employees working in the United States and provides information about state and federal leave legislation. Features such as workflows and reminders enable the HR team to comply with legal requirements, properly manage an employee's leave and help the employee with their return to work.
The benefits of using the software include the fact that it supports more than 200 leave laws at both the state and federal levels and enables users to configure workflows to automate manual processes if desired, as well as requiring confirmation that a user has followed all the steps in a process.
However, AbsenceSoft's focus on American employees means that some of the functionality may not apply to international workers.
Edays
Edays' application enables companies to manage employee time and attendance, employee leaves and associated documents. The system aims to help HR staff streamline the leave management process and track sensitive data in one place.
Advantages of using Edays include users' ability to view time off across teams, regardless of the type of leave, and the ability to manage leave for an employee, no matter where the employee lives.
However, the reporting capabilities can be challenging to set up, and updating them, if necessary, can be difficult as well. System administrators attempting to find and make configuration changes may find the system challenging to navigate.
Pulpstream
Pulpstream offers employees access to a portal for maintaining contact with their company during their leave and sharing updates. The software administrator can use the system to store documentation and ensure that their company is managing an employee's leave process in accordance with applicable legislative requirements.
Advantages of using Pulpstream include the software's information about state and federal legislative employee leave requirements and its ability to automate some tasks. However, Pulpstream focuses on employee leave in the U.S., so some of the functionality doesn't apply to a global workforce.
Sparrow
Sparrow's software supports employees in the United States and Canada. The vendor offers consulting services in addition to its software.
Advantages of using Sparrow include the fact that each company is assigned a leave specialist from Sparrow, so companies can get questions answered and remain compliant. In addition, the software can automate some tasks and reporting that would otherwise need to be carried out by payroll staff and other employees supporting workers on leave.
However, Sparrow's support for companies with employees outside of the U.S. and Canada is limited.
Stiira
Companies and third-party administrators can use Stiira's leave of absence management software. The system enables software administrators to automate manual processes, use templates to communicate with employees and share information with employees on leave through the employee self-service portal.
Advantages of using Stiira include a seemingly fast implementation, with the company indicating that a client can carry out an implementation in four to eight weeks, and easy-to-access pricing on the vendor's website. Third-party administrators can also use Stiira to support multiple clients.
However, company information on Stiira's website is limited, and a free trial does not appear to be available. As with some other products, Stiira focuses on American employee leave, so some functionality may be limited for international organizations.
WorkForce Software
WorkForce's product is aimed at large enterprise companies. The software offers leave of absence functionality as part of broader software that includes scheduling, timesheet management and labor forecasting capabilities.
WorkForce Software was acquired by ADP in October 2024.
Advantages of using Workforce include leave management data being automatically pushed to time and attendance when applicable and the availability of templates that can help companies remain compliant.
However, the system may be too complex and expensive for smaller companies looking for leave of absence software.
Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.
