Technology Issues to Consider in Managing
and Preventing Absence

By Michael J. Dunst, MBA

Principal
Absence, Productivity, and HR Consulting

These days, it’s all about texting, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Venmo, and whatever else my kids tell me that I don’t understand. It’s true that social media interactions drive many people, but does digital communication drive leave management? According to the Pew Research Center, level of access to the Internet can vary significantly based upon age, income, education, and community¹. This can impact how an employee engages with leave management. How does this impact the digital strategy for leave management?

The answer may be found in three themes:

• The quality of information obtained through electronic communication
• The impact this technology has on the decision-making process
• The old debate of whether our business runs on data or human interaction to make a subjective decision

To be clear, I’m a big fan of technology. Let’s use it to make the process easier to maneuver and to efficiently gather information for 90% of claim and leave events. But I tend to worry more about the 10% that require human interaction to support and guide those in need.

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