March 12, 2026
Leave Processes Are Failing Employees Across Every Generation
Gen Z takes leave for mental health, while Boomers take it to recover from physical illness. Gen X is squeezed between caring for children and ageing parents at the same time. Despite these differences, all of them are funnelled through the same leave and accommodations process, and most of the time, the process lets them down.
AbsenceSoft’s 2026 Leave and Accommodations Employee Experience Report, based on a survey of 2,000 US employees at companies with 500 or more workers, shows that half of the respondents had taken a leave of absence in the past three years; the other half had requested a workplace accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The data reveals widespread process failures, real compliance exposure, and a return-to-work experience so poorly handled that it is pushing people out the door.
The Reasons Diverge by Generation
Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers each report feeling comfortable requesting leave at nearly identical rates, all between 75 and 78 percent. The reasons for leave, however, are different.
Mental health is the top reason for Gen Z (24%), while Gen X is pulled in two directions: caregiving and medical procedures each account for 23% of their requests, reflecting the pressures of the so-called sandwich generation. Boomers take leave most often for physical illness recovery (31%) and family caregiving (27%). Pregnancy, childbirth, and parental bonding cut across younger generations, accounting for 12% of all leaves overall.
Younger workers are requesting mental health accommodations at higher rates than any other generation (31%), and they are also the first cohort to identify neurodiversity, including ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, as a significant driver of accommodation requests, at 11%.
AbsenceSoft’s Founder and Senior Advisor, Seth Turner, said: “Gen Z is the first generation to enter the workforce having grown up with IEPs, 504 plans, and formal accommodations as a normal part of their lives. They are not going to leave that expectation at the door.”
The friction those employees encounter is the steepest of any group. Among neurodiversity requesters, 37% said the process took too long, and 28% feared retaliation. Mental health requests followed closely, with 30% experiencing delays and 20% fearing professional consequences for asking.
National Safety Council research has also found that employees who feel their employer discourages speaking up are 2.4 times more likely to suffer negative outcomes at work.
Flexibility Requests Look the Same, Until They Don’t
More than half of all accommodation requests involve schedule or shift changes, making flexibility the single most common ask across the workforce. Remote work accounts for nearly a third of all requests, with modified job duties making up another quarter.
Gen Z leads with flexible or reduced schedules (46%) and permanent shift changes (32%). Boomers most frequently request specialised equipment (36%), reflecting physical conditions that accumulate with age.
The return-to-office push is adding pressure on top of all of this. As organisations navigate hybrid work models, the study finds RTO mandates are driving an additional wave of requests for parking, seating, and office equipment from employees being asked back on-site.
The Legal Risk
Nearly half of the respondents (47%) had problems with paperwork and deadlines, and 44% experienced confusion over pay and benefits during leave. Thirty-nine percent said the process was unclear overall.
Additionally, 16% reported lost hours, demotions, lost responsibilities, or terminations during or after a protected leave of absence, all potential indicators of non-compliance with federal law. Nearly a third of all leaves are managed by frontline supervisors rather than HR, exposing organisations to FMLA compliance risk without the training or oversight to handle it properly.
Most organisations are not paying attention to what happens when employees come back, either. More than 50% of employees said their team knew they were coming back, and 50% felt welcomed on return. Only 33% had their systems and access ready on day one, and 26% had a return-to-work conversation with their manager. Eight percent had a ramp-up plan. Nineteen percent said no one checked whether they needed an accommodation upon returning.
“When the process fails them, the consequences are real,” Turner said. “Compliance violations, lost trust, and employees who don’t come back are not edge cases.”
