The past year has redefined absence management, shifting from reactive processes to employee-centric strategies that treat leave as a promise, not a perk. Employers are integrating strategic absence planning into holistic wellness programs, streamlining processes through trust and transparency, and reimagining return-to-work as a key part of recovery. We explored trends including:
- Proactive absence planning – positioning leave as a driver of sustainability and engagement.
- Wellness-integrated IDAM – linking absence management to financial, physical, and mental health.
- Return-to-work as therapy – using reintegration to support recovery and morale.
- Speed-of-trust approaches – simplifying administration through transparency and trust.
- Breaking down silos – replacing fragmented systems with streamlined, integrated processes.
- Ethical AI in IDAM – applying artificial intelligence responsibly in disability and absence management, informed by internal insights and industry trends.
Looking ahead, expect AI-driven personalization, mental health–focused policies, and integrated systems to replace outdated, siloed approaches. In this session, our industry experts unpacked which trends are fading, which are here to stay, and what’s next for 2026 and beyond.
