The DBL Center can help you provide the solution.
As more states adopted paid leave laws for medical leave, caregiving, and bonding with a new child in their family, HR departments are left struggling with how to manage leave to ensure compliance and employee satisfaction. Along with providing back-office assistance and low premium rates as your insurance wholesaler, The DBL Center can assist our broker clients with leave management solutions for small businesses.
Paid Leave Isn’t Only About Compliance, But That’s An Important Element
With PFML programs expanding across states, more employers are offering paid leave, whether or not it’s required in their state. According to a new survey from absence management platform AbsenceSoft, 60% of employers said they’re implementing leave policies to support employee well-being and work-life balance. Employers could choose more than one option in the poll.
Other top goals employers hoped to accomplish with paid leave included:
- Improve employee retention and reduce turnover (55%)
- Improve employee experience and support (51%)
- Accommodate diverse needs and life circumstances (43%)
Of the top benefits, 69% offer paid medical leave, 66% offer paid bereavement, and 65% offer paid parental leave.
There’s a significant drop-off when it comes to caregiver leave, with only 29% offering paid caregiver leave. The survey doesn’t indicate whether medical, parental and caregiving leave is mandated, voluntary, or offered privately or through a state program. But more than one-third (34%) of employers acknowledged that their organization-wide policies are in place to “mitigate legal risk or litigation.”
As programs expand across the US, having the right programs in place is often about compliance as much as anything else. But, increasingly, it’s becoming a strategic priority for business owners.
Add federally mandated FMLA (Family and Medical Leave Act) requirements, and employers and their HR teams have more to track than ever before, from benefits administration to unpaid, job-protected time off.
More Than Half of Businesses Report Rising Leave Requests in 2026
As the visibility and knowledge of PFML programs grows, employers are also fielding more requests for leave. More than half (53%) of employers saw more leave requests in 2026 than in 2025, according to the survey. Only 8% said leave requests declined.
Of those who saw an increase, 66% said requests rose by more than 20%. This is also the third straight year paid leave requests have increased, signifying a long-running shift in company philosophies rather than a short-lived trend.
Key Challenges to Managing Paid Leave
For all the advantages paid leave provides when it comes to boosting workforce morale and employee retention, many organizations struggle with implementation and administration.
The survey highlighted the top challenges employers face in managing paid leave:
- Ensuring compliance with FMLA (41%)
- Managing intermittent leave and reduced schedules (38%)
- Tracking and reporting on leave usage and data (35%)
Several responses tied for fourth place, with 32% of HR teams spotlighting the following challenges:
- Delivering an overall positive employee experience
- Knowing how much to communicate with employees on leave
- Accurately calculating employee pay during leave
Rounding out the list, 31% reported challenges calculating eligibility for leave entitlements. More than one-quarter (26%) reported challenges managing state leave policies with a distributed workforce.
Your Clients Don’t Have to Manage Paid Leave Alone
Even with these challenges, many organizations are still managing employee leave manually, particularly when it comes to paid state leave programs.
The survey reported that 41% handle state leave manually, relying on emails and spreadsheets. Only 38% have started using leave management platforms with onboard compliance tools. Nearly one quarter (24%) outsource to their insurer or a third-party vendor.
The DBL Center has solutions to assist businesses of any size assist with paid leave and provide guidance around FMLA and leave management. Brokers can take advantage of these opportunities through our white-label, white-glove services to position your firm as a go-to expert.
If your clients are like those surveyed, they’re struggling with leave management and don’t know where to find solutions. It’s worth asking how they’re managing paid leave right now and what challenges they face.
You already trust us to help your clients achieve compliance with state leave programs. Now let us help your clients track and manage leave through our trusted network of carriers.
We’re all evolving together as paid leave programs expand. We want to be your resource and first stop for information when it comes to disability, benefits, leave and helping your clients manage it all. Reach out today to learn more.
