New research from The Standard suggests employers and employees often recognize the same challenges after a worker returns from leave, but differ in their perceptions of who experiences them most. The findings highlight a potential blind spot in workplace reintegration: HR teams may focus on demographic patterns while overlooking the individual experiences of employees adjusting to work again. Stress, fatigue and the difficulty of readjusting after an absence point to a need for support that continues beyond an employee’s first day back.
HR perceptions do not always match employee experiences
The findings, detailed in The Post-Absence Experience Is in the Eye of the Beholder, point to a disconnect between how HR professionals anticipate return-to-work difficulties and how employees describe their own experiences.
One of the clearest differences concerns caregiving. More than half of HR decision-makers (56%) identified women as struggling with caregiving responsibilities after leave, compared with just 7% who identified men. Employees, however, reported a considerably narrower gender divide.
The distinction matters because workplace support built around assumptions about which demographic groups face the greatest challenges may overlook employees whose circumstances do not fit those expectations. Caregiving responsibilities, for example, can affect employees of different genders, career stages and family situations.
The research also found differences in how HR professionals and employees view generational challenges. HR respondents were more likely to associate difficulties with Generation Z and millennial workers, particularly around engagement, work schedules, work-life balance and productivity. Employees described a more even distribution of return-to-work challenges across generations.
For employers, these findings suggest that demographic patterns can provide useful context, but should not replace direct feedback from people returning to work.
Stress and fatigue remain major obstacles
Despite differences in perceptions, employees identified some common challenges regardless of gender. Stress and fatigue were the leading self-reported difficulties, cited by 43% of women and 39% of men.
Returning from an absence can involve more than resuming a job description. Employees may need to rebuild routines, catch up on changing priorities, reconnect with colleagues and adjust to workloads that have continued evolving while they were away. Those returning from medical or family-related leave may also be managing ongoing personal responsibilities.
The research highlights another important gap: reintegration itself. Employees were more likely than HR decision-makers to identify readjustment difficulties among both women and men. For men, 21% of employees identified reintegration challenges, compared with only 6% of HR decision-makers.
That difference suggests organizations may underestimate the adjustment period following leave. Completing the administrative process, restoring access to workplace systems and returning to a regular schedule do not necessarily mean an employee feels fully reintegrated.
The transition can also involve changes in responsibilities, team dynamics or expectations. Without regular conversations between employees and managers, those difficulties may remain invisible until they affect performance, engagement or retention.
Why the first day back is not enough
The Standard’s research reinforces the case for treating return-to-work support as an ongoing workforce management responsibility rather than a single HR milestone.
Employers often have formal processes for managing leave, including benefits administration, documentation and communication during an absence. The period after an employee returns may receive less structured attention, even though it can involve its own operational and personal challenges.
Dottie Tieslau, assistant vice president of Policyholder Services at The Standard, said employers should pay closer attention to what happens after employees return, not just the support provided during leave. She highlighted the importance of understanding employees’ experiences and extending reintegration assistance beyond the first day.
Practical measures can include post-leave surveys, manager check-ins, flexible work arrangements and structured return plans. Employee resource groups may also help returning workers connect with colleagues who understand particular caregiving, health or family circumstances.
These measures do not need to create a uniform return-to-work process for everyone. In fact, the survey suggests that a more effective approach may involve asking employees what they need rather than assuming those needs based on age or gender.
A workforce issue with implications for retention
Return-to-work support connects several HR responsibilities: absence management, employee benefits, workplace flexibility, manager capability and employee engagement.
A poorly managed transition can make it harder for employees to resume responsibilities and maintain a sustainable work routine. For organizations, that creates potential risks around disengagement, reduced productivity and the loss of experienced employees.
The issue is particularly relevant to employers managing disability leave, paid family leave and other extended absences. These programs are often measured through administrative indicators such as leave duration, claim processing and return dates. Employee experience after the return may require a different set of measures.
HR teams could use structured feedback to track whether employees feel supported, whether workloads are manageable and whether managers are providing appropriate flexibility. Comparing HR perceptions with employee responses may also reveal gaps between the support organizations believe they provide and the support workers actually experience.
Research puts employee experience at the center
The Standard’s study draws on two separate surveys conducted by third-party research firms: one involving 509 HR decision-makers and another involving 501 employees. The HR survey was fielded January 5–23, 2026, while the employee survey ran February 9–19, 2026. The two surveys used nearly identical questionnaires covering return-to-work experiences, benefits priorities and employee resource groups.
The findings offer employers a useful reminder that workforce policies should be informed by both management perspectives and employee feedback. However, the reported differences should be interpreted as survey findings rather than proof that all organizations or demographic groups experience return-to-work challenges in the same way.
For HR leaders, the practical takeaway is straightforward: returning from leave should be treated as a process, not an event. Organizations that listen to employees, equip managers to respond and revisit support after the initial return may be better positioned to protect engagement and retain talent.
Market Landscape
The research sits within a wider shift in HR from administering employee leave toward managing the full employee experience before, during and after an absence.
| Market trend | Relevance to HR teams |
|---|---|
| Absence management | Employers are looking beyond leave administration to improve the transition back to work. |
| Employee experience | Direct employee feedback can reveal support gaps that HR assumptions may miss. |
| Workplace flexibility | Adjusted schedules and structured return plans can help employees manage changing responsibilities. |
| Benefits and wellbeing | Disability, family leave and employee support programs influence the return-to-work experience. |
| Manager capability | Managers play an important role in identifying reintegration challenges and maintaining engagement. |
The opportunity for HR technology and benefits providers is to help employers connect leave administration, employee feedback, manager workflows and ongoing support. The challenge is ensuring that data leads to appropriate action rather than treating demographic averages as substitutes for individual conversations.
Top Insights
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The Standard’s research found that HR leaders perceive larger gender differences in caregiving challenges than employees report.
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Stress and fatigue were the leading self-reported return-to-work challenges, cited by 43% of women and 39% of men.
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Employees were more likely than HR leaders to identify reintegration difficulties, particularly among men.
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Two surveys of 509 HR decision-makers and 501 employees reveal differences between management perceptions and employee experiences.
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Post-leave surveys, manager check-ins and flexible return plans can help employers provide support beyond the first day back.
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