Effective Leave Management Strategies for a Multigenerational Workforce

By Kimberly Mashburn

National Accounts Practice Lead
The Hartford

A large New York City employer in the financial industry had a mystery brewing: why did a particular group of Millennial employees take longer than normal to bounce back from musculoskeletal injuries suffered on and off the job?

Thanks to an effective absence management partnership that flagged the longer leave durations, the employer was able to identify the issue and implement a solution that put these employees literally on the road to recovery. The findings showed most of the longer-duration claims came from younger employees who lived in New York City and didn’t own a car; older workers more often lived in the suburbs and/or had cars. As a result, many younger workers missed their physical therapy sessions due to a lack of transportation. Working with their absence management partner, the employer provided ride-sharing services such as Lyft and Uber to get employees to their appointments. The problem was solved, and leave durations decreased.

The employer keyed in on the generational difference impacting their leave durations and the resources the young employees needed. Employers with Baby Boomers and Gen Xers also must consider the unique needs of those groups. Aging Baby Boomers (53-65)¹ are staying in the workplace longer² and trying to stay on top of their health issues. Gen Xers (39-52) are sandwiched between parents and children, often providing caregiver services to both. And Millennials (21-38) and Gen Z (21 or younger) are coming through the front door at an increasing rate and seeing the world through a different prism.

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