HR trends and what they mean: Rising leave requests

Is 2025 set to become the “year of leave?” According to the latest data from AbsenceSoft, 57% of organizations reported more workers asking for extended time off in 2024 — contributing to the third consecutive year of rising leave requests. 

While the pace might be slowing – with requests previously increasing by 96% in 2022 and 62% in 2023 – the total volume of requests has never been higher. And the data reveals telling shifts in workplace priorities that may suggest leave policies need to catch up. 

Feeling tired was cited by 36% of employees as the top reason for needing time off, followed closely by stress and anxiety (33%) and not being in the right frame of mind (20%). Mental health has emerged as the second most common justification for leave requests, with 47% of employees citing it as their reason for needing time away from work.

A surge in leave requests may necessitate a more holistic approach to leave, in general. HR leaders may need to recognize the utility of more flexible policies — and the effect that rest can have on productivity. As Helen Godliman, Head of HR Operations at The Instant Group explains to to hrnews: 

“Annual leave is essential for maintaining long-term productivity and well-being. In flexible workspaces, we see how a well-rested individual, who has the freedom to step away and recharge, returns more focused, creative, and engaged. Taking time off isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity."

It’s also worth thinking about how tailored leave policies can have a positive effect on retention for your organization. In conversation with HR Brew, Seth Turner, co-founder and chief strategy officer of AbsenceSoft, offers the following: 

“We’re seeing a lot of organizations that add their own company policies in the interest of retaining employees and, in some cases, attracting [them]...That’s also something that’s changed the dynamic of the leave space.”

The rise of leave requests presents both challenges and opportunities for HR teams. To effectively manage this trend while supporting employee wellbeing, consider the following approaches:

• Introduce specialized leave options: Pilot innovative leave types such as menstrual leave, duvet days, or mental health days with clear guidelines for usage. Track adoption rates and impact on overall absence patterns to demonstrate value to leadership.

• Implement absence analytics: Use leave management software that provides real-time visibility into absence trends and helps forecast staffing needs. Set up monthly reporting to identify departments experiencing high leave rates that may indicate underlying wellbeing issues.

• Train managers in supportive conversations: Equip team leaders with scripts and resources for having empathetic, non-judgmental discussions about leave needs. Create a manager's toolkit that includes guidance on workload redistribution during employee absences.

• 13 types of leave from work and how they're defined

• Using people data to power your people initiatives

• Why is everyone talking about… energy check-ins?

That's all for this week's edition of Personio Pulse: This Week in HR. Check back next week as we continue to dissect the latest trends impacting the ways we work. 

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