Aflac study reveals the impact of paid leave on employers and employees
Aflac (NYSE:AFL) has released its second annual Time Away Study, revealing significant challenges faced by employees covering for colleagues on leave. The study shows that 73% of employees experience workplace stress while covering for peers, and 41% face burnout during extended coverage periods over eight weeks.
Key findings highlight that mental well-being dropped 11 percentage points during coverage periods, with 27% of employees developing new health conditions attributed to increased workload. Despite 95% of leaders having access to recognition tools, 29% of employees received no recognition for additional work.
Aflac emphasizes the need for employers to implement proactive leave management strategies, including clear communication, regular check-ins, and support systems to prevent burnout and maintain productivity.
Aflac (NYSE:AFL) ha pubblicato il suo secondo Time Away Study annuale, mettendo in luce le difficolt脿 di chi sostituisce colleghi in congedo. Lo studio rivela che il 73% dei dipendenti prova stress sul lavoro mentre copre altri e che il 41% soffre di burnout dopo periodi di copertura prolungati oltre le otto settimane.
I risultati indicano che il benessere mentale 猫 diminuito di 11 punti percentuali durante le fasi di copertura e che il 27% dei dipendenti ha sviluppato nuove condizioni di salute attribuite all'aumento del carico di lavoro. Nonostante il 95% dei dirigenti abbia accesso a strumenti di riconoscimento, il 29% dei lavoratori non ha ricevuto alcun riconoscimento per il lavoro extra.
Aflac sottolinea l'importanza che i datori di lavoro adottino strategie proattive di gestione dei congedi, con comunicazione chiara, check-in regolari e sistemi di supporto per prevenire il burnout e mantenere la produttivit脿.
Aflac (NYSE:AFL) ha publicado su segundo estudio anual Time Away, que pone de manifiesto los retos de quienes cubren a compa帽eros de baja. El informe muestra que el 73% de los empleados sufre estr茅s laboral al hacerse cargo de otros y que el 41% padece burnout tras periodos de cobertura prolongados de m谩s de ocho semanas.
Los hallazgos se帽alan que el bienestar mental descendi贸 11 puntos porcentuales durante las coberturas, y que el 27% de los empleados desarroll贸 nuevas afecciones de salud atribuibles al aumento de la carga laboral. A pesar de que el 95% de los l铆deres dispone de herramientas de reconocimiento, el 29% de los empleados no recibi贸 reconocimiento por el trabajo adicional.
Aflac destaca la necesidad de que los empleadores implementen estrategias proactivas de gesti贸n de ausencias, con comunicaci贸n clara, seguimientos peri贸dicos y sistemas de apoyo para prevenir el burnout y mantener la productividad.
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Aflac (NYSE:AFL) a publi茅 sa deuxi猫me 茅tude annuelle Time Away, r茅v茅lant les difficult茅s rencontr茅es par les employ茅s qui remplacent des coll猫gues en cong茅. L'茅tude montre que 73 % des employ茅s subissent du stress au travail lorsqu'ils assurent des remplacements, et que 41 % souffrent d'茅puisement professionnel lors de p茅riodes de couverture d茅passant huit semaines.
Parmi les conclusions, le bien鈥懨猼re mental a diminu茅 de 11 points de pourcentage pendant les p茅riodes de couverture, et 27 % des employ茅s ont d茅velopp茅 de nouveaux probl猫mes de sant茅 attribu茅s 脿 l'augmentation de la charge de travail. Bien que 95 % des responsables disposent d'outils de reconnaissance, 29 % des employ茅s n'ont re莽u aucune reconnaissance pour le travail suppl茅mentaire.
Aflac souligne la n茅cessit茅 pour les employeurs de mettre en place des strat茅gies proactives de gestion des cong茅s, incluant une communication claire, des points r茅guliers et des syst猫mes d'accompagnement pour pr茅venir l'茅puisement et maintenir la productivit茅.
Aflac (NYSE:AFL) hat seine zweite j盲hrliche Time Away Study ver枚ffentlicht und damit die Herausforderungen aufgezeigt, denen Mitarbeitende begegnen, die f眉r abwesende Kolleginnen und Kollegen einspringen. Die Studie zeigt, dass 73 % der Besch盲ftigten Stress am Arbeitsplatz erleben, wenn sie vertreten, und dass 41 % w盲hrend l盲ngerer Vertretungszeiten von mehr als acht Wochen Burnout erfahren.
Zentrale Ergebnisse sind, dass das psychische Wohlbefinden w盲hrend der Vertretungszeiten um 11 Prozentpunkte sank und dass 27 % der Besch盲ftigten neue gesundheitliche Beschwerden entwickelten, die auf die erh枚hte Arbeitsbelastung zur眉ckgef眉hrt werden. Obwohl 95 % der F眉hrungskr盲fte Zugriff auf Anerkennungsinstrumente haben, erhielt 29 % der Mitarbeitenden keine Anerkennung f眉r die zus盲tzliche Arbeit.
Aflac betont die Notwendigkeit, dass Arbeitgeber proaktive Urlaubsmanagement-Strategien umsetzen, einschlie脽lich klarer Kommunikation, regelm盲脽iger Check-ins und Unterst眉tzungsangebote, um Burnout vorzubeugen und die Produktivit盲t zu erhalten.
- Comprehensive study highlighting workplace challenges provides valuable insights for improving employee management
- 95% of leaders have access to recognition tools for acknowledging additional work
- Company demonstrates leadership in addressing workplace well-being issues
- 73% of employees experience workplace stress during peer coverage
- 41% of employees face burnout during extended coverage periods
- 27% of employees developed new health conditions due to increased workload
- 29% of employees received no recognition despite available recognition tools
Nearly 3 in 4听employees experience workplace stress or anxiety while covering for a peer1
According to the 2025 Aflac Time Away Study:
41% of employees experienced burnout when a co-worker's leave period extended beyond eight weeks.1- Mental well-being dropped 11 percentage points while covering for a peer.1
27% of employees who were diagnosed with a new health condition during or after their coverage period attributed it to the increased workload.118% of workers say a preexisting condition worsened while covering for a peer.173% of employees experienced at least moderate workplace stress or anxiety while covering for a peer.129% of employees said they did not receive any recognition for their additional work even though95% of leaders say they have access to recognition tools.167% of those newly diagnosed with a health condition while covering for a peer took time off to care for themselves.1
Aflac's study emphasizes the need for employers to adopt proactive leave and time away management practices to mitigate the risks of burnout and negative impacts on employee morale. As part of its ongoing efforts to support businesses and their employees, Aflac urges employers to take a more holistic approach to leave management 鈥� safeguarding access to time away and ensuring robust plans are in place to address the well-being of employees for the continued success of business operations. Proactive planning and clear communication, alongside recognition and support, can minimize the physical and mental impact on employees and foster a healthier, more productive work environment.
"We know that in today's environment, employers are increasingly cognizant of providing a better workplace for their employees, but this study reveals that the challenges of covering for a co-worker on leave can have a significant impact on productivity," said Jenny Merrithew, vice president, Marketplace Solutions at Aflac. "To ensure there is balance in time away programs and productivity, employers should take steps and create a strategy to support the long-term well-being of employees, especially during periods where they are covering for a co-worker on leave. The strategy should include clear communication, regular check-ins, and tools and support to help prevent employee burnout and boost their engagement."
Similar to business continuity planning for disasters, building robust leave contingency plans that foster a culture of consistency, communication, recognition and support for employees taking on additional work could reduce the overall impacts identified in the study. This work can shape and inform how employers can remain competitive with time away benefits and minimize the impact to productivity and well-being in the workplace.
"What we discovered through this research is that leaders may not be aware of the toll that longer leave coverage takes on their employees, especially on tenured employees who may appear better equipped to manage the increased workload," said JR Shamley, senior vice president of National Accounts Business Development and Growth Solutions at Aflac. "Leaders should ensure workers are supported, recognized and rewarded equally and commensurate with the amount of additional work that's expected of them."
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ABOUT THE 2025 AFLAC TIME AWAY STUDY
This second annual Aflac Time Away Study, conducted in听January 2025, examines the impacts of time away/leave (two-plus weeks) programs on the workers who remain to ensure business continuity during those leave periods. This year, to provide a more complete picture of
ABOUT听AFLAC INCORPORATED听
Aflac Incorporated (NYSE: AFL), a Fortune 500 company, has helped provide financial protection and peace of mind for nearly seven decades to millions of policyholders and customers through its subsidiaries in the
Group life, disability and absence services are provided by Continental American Insurance Company (CAIC); in
1听Time Away Study 2025. Aflac Incorporated. Published May 2025.
2 LIMRA 2024 U.S. Supplemental Health Insurance Total Market Report.
Media contact: Jon Sullivan, 706-763-4813 or听[email protected]
Analyst and investor contact: David A. Young, 706-596-3264, 800-235-2667 or [email protected]
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FAQ
What are the key findings of Aflac's 2025 Time Away Study regarding employee burnout?
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What percentage of employees receive recognition for covering colleague workload according to Aflac?
What solutions does Aflac recommend for managing employee leave coverage?
How much did employee mental well-being decline during peer coverage periods in Aflac's study?
