Study also reveals Millennials and Gen Z are driving a major shift in accommodations, with mental health and neurodiversity signaling new expectations and employer requirements; Findings suggest compliance gaps and broken reentry processes are putting retention at risk across every generation
AbsenceSoft, a leading employee leave management and accommodations platform, today released its 2026 Leave and Accommodations Employee Experience Report, based on a survey of 2,000 employees at companies with 500 or more employees. Half had taken a leave of absence in the past three years, while the other half had requested a workplace accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The findings reveal a workforce taking a leave of absence across every generation, navigating cancer, caregiving, mental health crises, and more, and processes that are routinely failing them at both ends of the journey.
“Every generation in today’s workforce is taking leave, and they are doing it through some of the hardest moments of their lives. When the process fails them, the consequences are real. Compliance violations, lost trust, and employees who don’t come back are not edge cases. HR teams deserve better tools, and employees deserve better outcomes,” said Seth Turner, AbsenceSoft’s Founder and Senior Advisor.
Key findings include:
Every Generation Takes Leave for Very Different Reasons
Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers all request a leave of absence at nearly identical rates, but the reasons behind those requests could not be more different. The “sandwich generation,” those caring for both children and aging parents, faces mounting pressure.
- Gen Z (77%), Millennials (78%), Gen X (75%), and Boomers (77%) all report feeling comfortable requesting a leave of absence at nearly identical rates.
- The reasons diverge sharply: Gen Z cites mental health as the top driver (24%). Gen X is driven by caregiving (23%) and medical procedures (23%). Boomers take leave most often for physical illness recovery (31%) and family caregiving (27%).
- Pregnancy, childbirth, and parental bonding account for 12% of all leaves, cutting across younger generations.
- Gen X reflects the pressures of the “sandwich generation,” with caregiving (23%) and medical procedures (23%) emerging as their top two reasons for leave.
Millennials and Gen Z Are Asking for Mental Health and Neurodiversity Accommodations and Encountering the Most Friction
While flexibility dominates what employees ask for, the underlying drivers differ significantly across generations.
- Gen Z leads on mental health accommodations (31%) and is the first generation to cite neurodiversity, including ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, as a significant driver (11%).
- Millennials also report mental health as a leading driver of accommodations (23%), alongside illness or injury recovery (23%).
- Gen X and Boomers skew toward specialized equipment and modified duties, reflecting physical conditions and age-related needs that increase over time.
- The friction is sharpest for mental health and neurodiversity requests: 37% of neurodiversity requesters said the process took too long, and 28% feared retaliation. Mental health requests were not far behind, with 30% experiencing delays and 20% fearing retaliation.
“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. HR teams should expect accommodation requests to continue to increase, driven by requests most programs were not designed to handle,” said Turner.
Every Generation Wants Flexibility, The Reasons Just Look Different
Flexibility is the most common accommodation request across the workforce, but the needs behind those requests vary widely by generation.
- Gen X and Boomers are equally focused on flexibility, but their requests are more often driven by physical conditions, chronic illness, and age-related needs. Specialized equipment requests top the list for Boomers (36%) and rank third for Gen X (27%).
- More than half of all accommodation requests involve schedule and shift changes, making flexibility the single most requested accommodation type across the entire workforce.
- Remote work accounts for nearly a third of all requests. Modified job duties account for another quarter.
- Gen Z leads with flexible or reduced schedules (46%) and permanent shift changes (32%). Millennials follow closely with flexible schedules (33%) and remote work (27%).
- The rise of return-to-office mandates is adding another layer, driving up requests not only for remote work and flexible schedules, but also for parking, seating, and office equipment from employees being asked to come back on-site.
The Leave Process Is Painful, and the Compliance Risk Is Real
Process failures are widespread. But beyond the bad experience, the data points to compliance exposure that many organizations may not see coming.
- 47% of employees had issues with paperwork and deadlines; 44% experienced pay and benefits confusion; 39% said the process was unclear or confusing.
- 16% of respondents reported lost hours, demotions, lost responsibilities, or terminations during or after a protected leave of absence, serious indicators of noncompliance under federal law.
- Nearly a third of all leaves are managed by frontline supervisors rather than HR, exposing organizations to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) compliance risk.
Return to Work Is an Afterthought
Most organizations aren’t paying attention to the reentry process.
- Only 51% of employees said their team knew they were coming back. Only 50% felt welcomed upon return.
- Only 33% had their systems and access ready on day one, and only 26% had a return-to-work conversation with their manager.
- Only 8% had a ramp-up plan.
- Only 19% said anyone checked whether they needed an accommodation upon returning.
Technology Is What Makes a Compliant, Consistent Process Possible at Scale
Employees want a better experience. Most organizations seem unequipped to deliver one.
- 76% of leave takers said they would prefer to handle some or all of the leave process from a mobile device.
- 63% of accommodation requesters said the same.
- 45% of employees cited self-service portals and text messaging as the top improvement that would have made their leave experience better.
