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Employee Leave Isn’t the Problem. The Real Issue Is Lack of Planning.

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March 09, 2026

Employee Leave Isn’t the Problem. The Real Issue Is Lack of Planning.

By Rachel Shaw

Leave management is one of the most frustrating and most predictable parts of human resources.

And that is exactly the problem.

Employers often feel caught off guard when an employee needs time away from work for a medical condition, family care or a personal matter. The process becomes emotional, reactive and operationally disruptive. But the reality is this: over the course of any employee’s tenure, leave is not an exception. It is an inevitability.

Every workforce will experience illness, injury, pregnancy, caregiving needs, mental health events and life transitions. These are not outliers. They are part of the employee lifecycle. Yet many organizations still treat leave as a one-off rather than building systems that anticipate it.

The issue is not that employees need leave. The issue is that too many organizations are not designed to handle it well when it comes up.

  • Leave Management Is a Systems Issue

Most employers have compliance mechanisms in place. They know how to issue an FMLA notice or respond to a doctor’s note. But compliance alone is not a strategy.

Where organizations struggle is in the absence of a clear, coordinated leave management program that addresses:

  • how leave is requested and tracked
  • how coverage is handled operationally
  • how supervisors respond in the moment
  • how leave interacts with ADA obligations and workplace accommodations
  • how employees are supported during and after the leave period

Without this infrastructure, every leave request becomes a disruption instead of a manageable workflow.

Proactive employers recognize that leave is a predictable operational reality and build programming around it.

  • Planning Reduces Stress for Everyone

When employers take the time to define their leave processes in advance, the experience changes dramatically.

Supervisors are no longer guessing what to do or reacting emotionally in the moment. HR is not reinventing the wheel with every request. Employees are not left feeling guilty, unsupported, or confused about their rights and responsibilities.

Clear programming allows organizations to respond consistently and with confidence. That includes:

  • clear expectations for how and when employees request leave
  • defined processes for job coverage and workload redistribution
  • structured communication points during leave
  • thoughtful return to work practices that support reintegration

This is not about eliminating the operational impact of leave. It is about managing it intentionally.

  • Flexibility Where It Works

One of the most effective ways to reduce the strain of leave is through thoughtful flexibility.

In some environments, that may mean remote work or modified schedules. In others, particularly in the public sector, healthcare or frontline environments, it may mean shift swapping, modified assignments, or creative scheduling.

Not every role can be done from home. But every organization can evaluate where flexibility is possible.

When employees can adjust schedules for medical appointments or caregiving needs without immediately moving into formal leave status, organizations often see reduced absenteeism and improved morale.

Flexibility, when structured well, becomes a pressure valve that supports both operations and employees.

  • Supervisor Frustration and the Culture of Leave

One of the most significant risks in leave management is not legal. It is cultural.

Supervisors often carry the operational burden when someone is out. That burden can lead to frustration, especially when leaves are extended, intermittent or complex.

Left unaddressed, that frustration can show up in subtle but damaging ways such as tone, comments, skepticism  or disengagement. Employees quickly pick up on this and it erodes trust.

At the same time, employers are right to be attentive to potential misuse. That is part of good program management.

The solution is not to ignore concerns or to assume the worst. It is to train supervisors to operate with professional judgment, to follow process, avoid assumptions, document appropriately, and escalate concerns through the proper HR channels rather than reacting emotionally.

Employees should not feel like they are doing something wrong when they use a benefit or protection they are legally entitled to.

The way supervisors respond in these moments defines the organization’s culture far more than any written policy.

  • ADA and the Continuation of the Conversation

Another common breakdown point is what happens when statutory leave ends.

When FMLA or state leave entitlements are exhausted, the conversation is not necessarily over. Employers may have additional obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to evaluate whether additional leave or other workplace accommodations are reasonable.

Too often, organizations treat the end of FMLA as the end of the process.

In reality, it is often the beginning of a different conversation, one that requires individualized assessment, interactive dialogue and thoughtful decision-making.

Organizations that build a coordinated ADA and leave management program, which I often refer to as programming the interactive process, are far better positioned to navigate these transitions consistently and defensibly.

  • Supporting Employees, Not Just Complying with the Law

At its core, leave management is not just a compliance function. It is a human one.

Employees request leave at some of the most difficult moments in their lives: a cancer diagnosis, a complicated pregnancy, a parent in decline, a mental health crisis or recovery from injury.

How an organization responds in these moments matters.

Employers that approach leave with clarity, structure and empathy see measurable benefits: higher engagement, stronger retention and increased trust in leadership.

Those that operate in crisis mode often see the opposite: burnout, resentment and turnover.

  • Mental Health and the Evolving Workforce

Mental health-related leave requests continue to rise across industries.

Employees are more willing to seek support, but they are still highly sensitive to how those requests are received. Stigma has not disappeared. It has just become quieter.

Supervisors need guidance on recognizing potential leave triggers, responding without prying into protected medical information and connecting employees with HR and available resources.

Organizations that treat mental health with the same seriousness and neutrality as physical health create a safer and more stable workplace for everyone.

  • The Cost of Not Planning

The cost of poor leave management extends beyond legal exposure.

It shows up in:

  • operational disruption
  • supervisor burnout
  • inconsistent decision making
  • employee disengagement
  • avoidable turnover

Replacing experienced employees is expensive. More importantly, it disrupts the organization’s continuity and culture.

When employees see that their colleagues are treated with fairness, respect and professionalism during leave, it reinforces their trust in the organization.

  • A Final Thought

Leave is not the problem.

The absence of planning is.

Organizations that move from reactive response to intentional design, build clear processes, train supervisors and align ADA and leave programming, are able to manage leave in a way that supports both operations and people.

That is the goal.

Not perfection. Not zero disruption.

But a workplace where employees can navigate life’s inevitable challenges without fear and where employers can respond with consistency, clarity and care.

That is what good leave management looks like.

About the Author

Rachel Shaw, founder of Rachel Shaw Inc., is a nationally recognized ADA and leave management expert and sought-after speaker known for helping organizations turn legal compliance into operational strength. With more than two decades of experience, she designs in-house systems that allow employers to manage accommodations with both legal precision and human-centered leadership. She is the creator of the ADA Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, now used by thousands of organizations to manage disability accommodation requests confidently, consistently, and with care.

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Attract Retain & Develop – Nicholas Wyman

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ATTRACT RETAIN & DEVELOP

Shaping a Skilled Workforce for the Future

– NICHOLAS WYMAN

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author interview

New book by Workforce Specialist Nicholas Wyman offers a fresh approach to Leadership and Skills-Based Learning for the future.

Key Takeaways

Disrupt

Break free from outdated hiring models and embrace bold, game-changing workforce strategies.

Thrive

Create a high-performance culture where employees feel valued, motivated, and driven to succeed.

Evolve

Reskill, adapt, and future-proof your workforce to stay competitive in an era of rapid change.

Connect

Attract top talent and build unstoppable teams by fostering deep engagement and visionary leadership.

PRIMARY AUDIENCE

  • Business owner
  • Hiring Managers
  • HR Professionals
  • Entrepreneurs

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

NICHOLAS WYMAN

Nicholas “Nick” Wyman began his career as an award-winning chef. Transitioning from the culinary arts to the business world, Nick leveraged his leadership experience to become a globally recognized workforce practitioner.

As the CEO of the Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation Group (IWSI), he redefines career pathways, transforming how the modern world views skills and success.

Under his leadership, IWSI has ignited over twenty thousand skill-based career paths. Nick is the author of two books and contributes to Forbes, Fast Company, the MIT Press Journal, and CNBC.

Short Thesis

In today’s volatile job market, marked by talent shortages, automation, and evolving employee expectations, workforce expert Nicholas Wyman delivers a timely guide for business leaders in Attract, Retain & Develop. Wyman offers practical, forward-thinking strategies to help organizations future-proof their workforce and build thriving workplaces. Drawing on decades of experience in workforce education and skills development, including his leadership of IWSI America, Wyman challenges outdated hiring models and presents a results-driven approach to finding, training, and retaining top talent. Through real-world case studies and expert insights, he provides a clear blueprint for sustainable workforce success.

Excerpt

Over the decades my journey has taken me from being an award-winning chef to leading the international Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation (IWSI), where I’ve built up expertise in job skills training. Our group employs eight hundred apprentices at any given time and has successfully graduated more than 20,000 others. We have a network of more than three hundred small, medium, and large employer partners. Although I hung up my apron a few years back, I still keep in touch with my culinary roots. My philosophy today leans toward farm-to-table, focusing on organic, locally sourced ingredients, and I try to live a lifestyle that’s clean and healthy.

My goal here has been to not create yet another “formula” book on the workings of the workplace. And just to be up-front, I’m no McKinsey-style management guide. You won’t find robotic, data-driven analysis or structured methodologies here. What you will find are practical ideas, including some key ingredients such as mentoring, mastering change
in a tech-driven world, and building a resilient, innovative workforce culture. To this I have mixed in (hopefully) some entrepreneurial hustle (the same hustle that gets startups off the ground).

This book is a culmination of my diverse (some say crazy) background. From culinary to corporate, talent development to embracing change, my aim is to offer fresh insights into the workplace. Those insights often take a different track from the age-old “get into a good college” mentality. Not that I have anything against college students. It’s just that in the modern age, there are many options to consider. As a hiring manager or business owner, you need to have a keen awareness of who’s out there seeking employment and what they can offer your team. You need to know how you will captivate them and demonstrate why you want them on your team—and how you will entice them to stick around for a while.

Join me on a journey as we explore innovative strategies, redefining the future of work. The path for which I advocate is a path less traveled, but one rich with creative solutions and ideas that can lead to impactful change.

Visit Book Website

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In Conversation with the Author

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Rachel Shaw

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HR Spotlight Interview

Rachel Shaw

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Rachel Shaw

Joining us is Rachel Shaw, the founder of Rachel Shaw Inc. and a nationally recognized expert who has spent over two decades helping organizations turn complex compliance into operational strength.

Rachel is the visionary behind the ADA Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, a system now utilized by thousands of organizations to navigate disability accommodations with consistency, legal precision, and, most importantly, care. Today, she shares her “superpowers” for cooling off a workplace on fire, why she’s trading “culture fit” for “culture add,” and how she navigates the unique pressures of being a “fixer” in the corporate world.

Thank you for joining us, Rachel! HR has been through the wringer lately. From being the ‘bad guys’ during layoffs to the ‘fun police’ during RTO, a lot’s been happening. If you could clear the air right now, what is the one thing you wish every employee understood about your job?

Rachel Shaw:

HR is not the “fun police.” We are the stability system of the organization.

We are responsible for ensuring that decisions are made consistently, legally, and in a way that allows the organization to survive long-term. Sometimes that means saying no. Sometimes that means enforcing boundaries. The goal is not control. The goal is fairness, sustainability and clarity.

The best HR professionals care deeply about people and the organization’s mission. Our job is to hold both at the same time, even when it is uncomfortable.

We’ve heard it said that ‘Nobody plans to go into HR; they are usually dragged into it because they are good at listening.’ Is that true for you? What was the specific moment you realized, ‘Oh, I’m actually meant to do this’?

Rachel Shaw:

Not at all. An early career assessment actually told me HR was the least likely fit for me.

What I discovered over time is that HR is the perfect fit for people who can do three things well. Have hard conversations with care. See the complexity in human behavior. Stay grounded in what is right and defensible.

I am deeply mission-driven. I feel the human emotion in situations, but I am not led by it. I am led by data, process, and legal guidance while still caring about the human in front of me. That combination is what made me realize this is exactly where I am meant to be.

HR requires a weird mix of skills. You have to be part lawyer, part therapist, and part data analyst. If we stripped away the job title, what is the one ‘superpower’ you rely on most when the office is on fire?

Rachel Shaw:

Curiosity.

When something goes wrong in a workplace, most people react. I get curious. What happened. What system failed. What data are we missing. What assumption are we making.

Curiosity slows down reaction and replaces it with better decision-making. It allows me to solve the right problem, not just the loudest one.

If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Rachel Shaw:

Disconnected.

Not because people do not care, but because systems, leadership and work design have not caught up with how people actually live and work today. The opportunity in 2026 is to rebuild connections with intention.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Rachel Shaw:

I absolutely identify as a fixer.

For women and other underrepresented groups, the standard has historically been higher. That pressure forces you to be sharper, faster and more creative. That pressure, while unfair, has also produced extraordinary leadership.

I walk into rooms assuming something can be better and that I have a role in making it better. That mindset is not ego. It is ownership.

Women in HR often get unfairly pigeonholed as the ‘office mom’ or the ‘policy police.’ How do you dismantle those stereotypes to ensure you are seen as a strategic business architect first?

Rachel Shaw:

I dismantle it by focusing on business outcomes.

HR drives profit, productivity, retention and risk management. We use data, process and structure to get there while also caring about people.

One example early in my career. HR was expected to provide food for every meeting. Instead of arguing about it, I rotated responsibility across departments. Within months, the practice disappeared because once everyone shared the labor, they realized it was not necessary.

I do not argue stereotypes. I redesign systems.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Rachel Shaw:

I use what I call the pillow test.

If I can put my head down at night and not replay the day, I know I acted with integrity. If I cannot, I ask two questions. Did I do something that needs to be corrected? Or did something happen that I need to process?

Then I take action. I adjust the process, or I get support.

Replaying the past without action is not useful. Learning from it is.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news (a termination, a restructuring) that actually taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Rachel Shaw:

Early in my career, I realized that even when a termination decision is legally and operationally correct, the process determines whether it causes unnecessary harm.

If an employee does not understand how the decision was made, they experience it as something done to them rather than something they were part of.

That insight led me to create the Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, a system that gives employees clarity, time and information so they can understand and accept decisions, even difficult ones.

Good HR reduces trauma. Great HR reduces risk and trauma.

Have you ever felt pressure to soften your delivery or ‘be nice’ in a way that male counterparts aren’t? How do you balance empathy with the need to be firm on policy?

Rachel Shaw:

I have always been direct. I have been told I am too much, too fast, or too direct.

What I have learned is this. Employees do not need you to be soft. They need you to be honest, respectful and consistent.

People can feel when empathy is performative. What they trust is clarity delivered with care.

My success has always come from employees and unions knowing that even on their worst day, I will treat them with dignity.

The age-old tension is between ‘People’ and ‘Profits.’ Can you share a specific example where you had to fight for a budget or a benefit that didn’t have an immediate ROI, but you knew was critical for the culture?

Rachel Shaw:

This shows up most clearly in onboarding and leadership development.

I often tell leaders to think about onboarding the way colleges think about frosh orientation. When a student arrives on campus, there is an intentional experience designed to help them understand the culture, learn the rules, build relationships and feel a sense of belonging. We do that because we know it increases success, retention, and engagement.

Yet in the workplace, we bring employees in, hand them a laptop and expect them to figure it out.

If organizations invested in onboarding as a structured, multi-day experience focused on connection, clarity and culture, and paired that with leadership development that teaches supervisors how to lead humans, not just manage tasks, we would see measurable improvements in retention, productivity and engagement.

The return on investment is there. Most organizations simply do not measure it, or they do not invest long enough to see it.

We talk a lot about ‘gut feeling’ in hiring. How are you using data to challenge your own biases, or the biases of hiring managers, when it comes to promoting women and underrepresented talent?

Rachel Shaw:

“Gut Feeling” is often a placeholder for bias.

To counter that, we need structured interviews, consistent scoring and when possible, blind or partially blind early-stage processes.

Data does not eliminate bias, but it forces us to justify our decisions with evidence rather than instinct.

Statistically, women get stuck at the first step up to manager. As an HR leader, what is one systemic change you’ve implemented (or want to) that actually fixes this ‘broken rung’?

Rachel Shaw:

One of the most effective strategies I have implemented is using third-party technical interview panels in the early stages of hiring.

These panels focus strictly on capability, not personality or familiarity, and they provide a fact-based recommendation to the hiring authority. When there is a mismatch between the panel’s recommendation and the hiring manager’s preference, it creates a necessary coaching conversation. I will often ask a simple question: what is getting in your way of selecting this candidate?

In one case, a candidate who used a wheelchair was the top choice of the panel but not the hiring manager. When we talked it through, the concerns that surfaced were assumptions about travel, attendance and potential accommodation costs. We were able to walk through each concern with actual data, including the candidate’s strong attendance record, prior travel requirements, and the organization’s existing ADA-compliant infrastructure and centralized accommodation budget.

The manager was able to move from assumption to evidence, and the candidate was ultimately hired and has been successful in the role for many years.

The lesson is not that bias can be eliminated. It cannot. The lesson is that organizations can build systems that slow the decision down, surface the bias and require leaders to move from belief to data before they make hiring decisions.

What is the biggest myth about working in HR that you wish would die?

Rachel Shaw:

That HR is the heart of the organization.

We are not the heart. We are the entire cardiovascular system. We touch every part of the organization. When we are working well, everything functions. When we are not, everything feels it.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Rachel Shaw:

Culture fit.

What we should be talking about is culture add, how someone expands the organization’s thinking, not how closely they mirror it.

HR is often described as a thankless job—you’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the specific moment that reminds you ‘This is why I do this’?

Rachel Shaw:

I stay because of the moments when someone says, ‘That was one of the hardest days of my life and you made it easier’.

That is the work. That is the responsibility. When it is done well, it changes how people experience their workplace and sometimes their lives.

HR is thankless only when it is done poorly or unsupported. When it is done well, it is one of the most meaningful roles in any organization.

“We are not the heart; we are the entire cardiovascular system.”

That perspective from Rachel Shaw perfectly encapsulates the vital, often invisible work that defines modern HR. From dismantling the “office mom” stereotype to replacing “gut feelings” with data-driven equity, Rachel’s insights remind us that the strongest systems are those built on curiosity, clarity, and dignity.

As we celebrate Women’s History Month, Rachel’s journey serves as a powerful blueprint for any leader looking to redesign broken systems rather than just managing within them. A huge thank you to Rachel Shaw for her transparency and for giving us a masterclass in leading with both a steady hand and a human heart.

Rachel Shaw, founder of Rachel Shaw Inc., is a nationally recognized ADA and leave management expert and sought-after speaker known for helping organizations turn legal compliance into operational strength. With more than two decades of experience, she designs in-house systems that allow employers to manage accommodations with both legal precision and human-centered leadership. She is the creator of the ADA Interactive Process Hallway® protocol, now used by thousands of organizations to manage disability accommodation requests confidently, consistently, and with care.

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Women’s History Month Series – In Conversation with Jenn Harrold

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HR Spotlight Interview

Jenn Harrold

Women's History Month Interview Series

In Conversation with Jenn Harold

In HR Spotlight’s special Women’s History Month edition, we are sitting down with Jenn Harrold, the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at NewDay USA. With over 20 years of experience spanning technology, fintech, omni-channel retail, and logistics, Jenn has built a career translating business needs into human impact.

In this candid interview, she pulls back the curtain on the heavy emotional toll of being a corporate “first responder,” absorbing organizational stress so others can move forward. She also confronts the reality of the “glass cliff,” where women are often brought into leadership roles during crises specifically to fix broken systems. Jenn shares how she unlearned the conditioned need to “over-function” to prove her worth, transforming her approach by setting boundaries and refusing to carry fractured cultures alone.

Thank you for joining us, Jenn! HR has been through the wringer lately. From being the ‘bad guys’ during layoffs to the ‘fun police’ during RTO, a lot’s been happening. If you could clear the air right now, what is the one thing you wish every employee understood about your job?

Jenn Harrold:

I wish more people understood that HR professionals are people first.

When we orchestrate layoffs, we are not just managing spreadsheets, we are thinking about how to preserve dignity, how to communicate with clarity, and how to protect the people who are leaving and the people who are staying. We think about the ripple effects, and it takes a toll.

Sometimes we are asked to eliminate roles that belong to colleagues we’ve worked alongside for years. Sometimes we are even involved in decisions that impact our own teams. That work is heavy.

What’s rarely talked about is that we are the support system for everyone else, but we don’t always pause to process what we carry. We absorb a lot so others can move forward with steadiness.

Behind the policy and the process, we are simply human beings doing our best to balance compassion with business reality.

What boundary did you have to learn to set in your career that changed everything?

Jenn Harrold:

Early in my career, I thought being capable meant being available — all the time.

I’m a mom. A wife. A leader. I’ve carried a lot of titles. And somewhere along the way I decided I should be excellent at all of them simultaneously. I said yes quickly. I fixed things fast. I prided myself on being the person who could just get it done.

And for a while, that felt like ambition.

But if I’m honest, I was over-functioning. I wasn’t fully present anywhere. I was stretched across roles trying to prove I could carry it all — at work and at home.

I had to confront something uncomfortable: many women are conditioned to believe we have to outperform, overdeliver, and overextend just to earn and keep our seat at the table. I see it in my circles all the time.

At some point I realized that constantly being the fixer wasn’t leadership so, I started setting clearer boundaries.

At home, that meant being intentional about when I was working and when I was not. Not taking calls at dinner. Not mentally drafting responses during family time.

At work, it meant pushing back when “Can you just handle this?” became the default. My ability to GSD doesn’t mean I should absorb every urgent ask. Capability should not automatically equal responsibility.

The boundary that changed everything was this: I don’t have to prove my value by exhaustion.

When I stopped over-functioning, I didn’t lose influence. I gained clarity. And I show up stronger in every role because of it.

We’ve heard it said that ‘Nobody plans to go into HR; they are usually dragged into it because they are good at listening.’ Is that true for you? What was the specific moment you realized, ‘Oh, I’m actually meant to do this’?

Jenn Harrold:

Like many people in this field, I found my way here through proximity to people and performance. I began in the staffing agency world and eventually corporate recruiting.

The turning point came during a restructuring when I found myself leading recruiting and talent management. It was uncomfortable at first. I wrestled with imposter syndrome, the quiet voice asking, ‘do you actually belong in this seat?’

Then I led a major initiative that required aligning business strategy with talent outcomes. We weren’t just filling roles; we were shaping the future of the organization. That was the moment it clicked.

I realized I wasn’t just good at listening, I was good at translating business needs into human impact and vice versa. That’s when I knew this wasn’t accidental. It was alignment.

HR requires a weird mix of skills. You have to be part lawyer, part therapist, and part data analyst. If we stripped away the job title, what is the one ‘superpower’ you rely on most when the office is on fire?

Jenn Harrold:

Calm under pressure.

HR requires a strange but powerful blend of skills, part compliance, part therapist, part strategist, part analyst. But when things escalate, none of that matters if you can’t regulate the room.

In moments of crisis, my role is to create stability. I slow the pace emotionally, even if the decisions need to move quickly. I gather facts rapidly, assess risk, consider impact, and then move people toward clarity and action.

Panic spreads fast. If I can steady the energy, align the stakeholders, and keep the focus on solutions rather than noise, we can navigate almost anything. Rapid change and adaptation don’t intimidate me, they energize me.

If you could describe the current ‘mood’ of the workforce in 2026 using just one word, what would it be? Why?

Jenn Harrold:

Volatile — but not fragile.

The modern workforce is informed, vocal, and hyper-aware of power dynamics. Employees are recalibrating what loyalty, leadership, and work-life integration mean to them.

That creates intensity. Reactions are sharper. Decisions are faster. Transparency is demanded, not requested.

Volatility isn’t chaos — it’s compression. Everything moves faster now. Trust builds slower and it breaks quicker.

Organizations that lead with clarity and consistency will steady the room. Those that don’t will feel the swings.

We often talk about the ‘Glass Ceiling,’ but lately, the conversation has shifted to the ‘Glass Cliff’, where women are promoted to leadership only during times of crisis. Have you ever felt that pressure to be the ‘fixer’ in a broken system?

Jenn Harrold:

Absolutely.

I have a natural bias toward action. I move quickly. I assess, diagnose, and want to stabilize what feels chaotic. That instinct has served me well, especially in environments where change is constant and stakes are high.

But I’ve also learned that there’s a difference between being invited to lead transformation and being handed a mess and expected to absorb the fallout.

The “glass cliff” is real because women are often seen as emotionally intelligent, stabilizing forces. We’re brought in when morale is low, when culture is fractured, when trust has eroded. The unspoken expectation is that we will “fix” things.

What I’ve learned is this: I am willing to lead in a crisis, but I’m no longer willing to carry a broken system alone. Real change requires shared ownership. I’ll bring urgency, clarity, and solutions — but leadership is a team sport.

Being the fixer is powerful. Being the scapegoat is not.

HR professionals are the ‘first responders’ of the corporate world, handling grief, layoffs, and conflict. What is your specific protocol for protecting your own peace after a day of absorbing everyone else’s stress?

Jenn Harrold:

I compartmentalize — sometimes too well. It’s a strength and a liability.

Over time, I’ve realized that absorbing everyone else’s stress without releasing it is not sustainable. So, I’ve had to become intentional about decompression.

After an emotionally heavy day, I seek quiet. No noise. No input. I give myself space to process rather than immediately moving to the next thing. The pause matters.

Then I regulate — yoga, breath work, meditation. Movement is non-negotiable for me. I start every morning with a workout. It’s how I create resilience before the day ever asks anything of me.

Protecting your peace isn’t indulgent — it’s operationally necessary.

Without naming names, tell us about a time you had to deliver tough news (a termination, a restructuring) that actually taught you something profound about leadership or empathy.

Jenn Harrold:

I will never forget that day.

During a major restructuring, a new organizational design resulted in the elimination of a role held by a dear friend, and I had to be the one to tell her.

Professionally, I was composed. Personally, I was crushed. There is a particular kind of silence that follows news like that — the kind that stays with you long after the meeting ends.

We didn’t speak for a long time. When we eventually reconnected, something had shifted. She has since moved away, and our relationship was never the same.

Leadership is not about emotional distance. It’s about carrying responsibility even when it costs you something personally. Sometimes doing your job well doesn’t feel like winning and you have to be mature enough to hold that complexity without turning it into defensiveness.

That experience changed me. It made me softer in some ways. Stronger in others.

If you could ban one corporate buzzword forever, what would it be?

Jenn Harrold:

“Circle back.”

Not because the phrase itself is offensive — but because it’s often code for avoidance.

If something matters, address it. If a decision needs to be made, make it. If there’s conflict, have the conversation.

“Circle back” has become the polite cousin of procrastination.

HR is often described as a thankless job—you’re the villain when things go wrong and invisible when things go right. Why do you stay? What is the specific moment that reminds you ‘This is why I do this’?

Jenn Harrold:

Because in the moments that matter most, you see the impact.

It’s not in the big announcements or polished town halls. It’s in the quiet moments — when a leader grows into someone more self-aware. When a struggling employee stabilizes and finds their footing. When a difficult decision is handled with integrity instead of ego.

The moment that reminds me “this is why” is when someone says, “You told me the truth when I needed it,” or “You helped me see something I couldn’t see myself.”

HR sits at the intersection of performance and people. That tension is hard. It’s messy. It’s rarely celebrated.

When you help shape a system that both demands results and respects people — even imperfectly — that matters.

That’s why I stay.

A massive thank you to Jenn Harrold for bringing such profound clarity and empathy to HR Spotlight. Her journey proves that true leadership isn’t about absorbing every urgent ask or fixing every broken system alone; it is about creating stability, demanding shared ownership, and respecting the humans behind the performance metrics.

Jenn Harrold is the Senior VP of Human Resources at NewDay USA and an HR leader focused on talent strategy, organizational development, and growth. With 20+ years of experience spanning technology, omni-channel retail, fintech, and logistics, she partners closely with executive leadership to align people strategy with business goals and help emerging growth companies and SMBs scale through talent and culture. Jenn has a track record of leading transformative initiatives that drive engagement and performance, with deep expertise in performance management, retention, succession planning, and change management, and she is known for guiding teams through ambiguity and rapid change. A purpose-driven leader, she is committed to mentorship, community, and building high-performing teams that unlock organizational potential.

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Pivot vs. Path: Guidance from Business Leaders for the Recently Laid Off

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Pivot vs. Path: Guidance from Business Leaders for the Recently Laid Off

In the disorienting aftermath of a layoff—when urgency screams “apply now!” and fear whispers “settle for anything”—a quieter, wiser path often emerges: the deliberate pause that separates reaction from reinvention. 

What if this unwanted break isn’t just survival time, but a rare chance to interrogate what truly energizes you, what industries still hold promise, and which skills remain timeless? 

On HRSpotlight, accomplished founders, physicians, recruiters, coaches, and executives offer grounded, battle-tested guidance for that uncertain crossroads. 

They urge starting with honest reflection—dissecting the layoff’s cause, auditing past joys and drains, mapping transferable strengths, and testing small experiments—before committing to a frantic job hunt or hasty pivot. 

From spotting unmet needs in your field (like Dr. Seth Crapp did in pediatric radiology) to reframing the moment as purposeful redesign, these voices emphasize intention over impulse, clarity over speed, and alignment over reaction. 

Their insights remind us: the strongest comeback begins not with a resume blast, but with self-honesty and strategic breathing room.

Read on!

Laura Nguyen
Author, Career Break Compass

When you’re laid off, the instinct is to move fast: to update the résumé, apply, fix it. But first, give yourself permission to play.

Do something that brings you joy and resets your nervous system: take a long walk, cook a meal from scratch, or call a friend who makes you laugh.

Small joys restore energy before big decisions.

Then, pause and reflect. Journal what you loved and loathed about your last role. Notice where you felt proud, and where you felt small. This reflection rebuilds confidence and direction.

Next, plan. Update your résumé with impact metrics, take an online course, to learn new skills, and list the people in your network you’d like to reconnect with.

Finally, pursue with intention. Reach out to those contacts, set weekly goals for job exploration, and track your progress.

A layoff isn’t an ending. It’s a turning point toward clarity, confidence, and choice.

Play First, Reflect, Then Pursue Intentionally

Lily Shanks
CRC, My Internal Weather

As someone with personal and coaching experience around abrupt (and major) career shifts, what seems like a job “loss” could be a massive opportunity and gift to clarify and thrive in your career going forward.

Resist any fears – financial or otherwise – urging you to grab the first offer or impulsively change careers. Instead, capitalize on this time to reflect and invest attention in your future.

Consider:
– Assess what you liked and disliked about your recent job, and possibly previous jobs. What would you have changed?
– Write about your dream job/career. Imagine the most enjoyable, fulfilling scenario!
– Avoid job tunnel-vision. Yes, careers matter. So do health, relationships, hobbies, and more! How does your non-work life inform your future?

Finally, whether you plan to change careers, continue in the same field, or can’t decide, take one action to explore options aligned with your desired path.

Dream Job Vision Guides Next Move

Kim Wibbs
Lighting & Design Consultant, Residence Supply

Layoffs can feel like a hard stop, but they often mark the beginning of your most intentional chapter.

Before pivoting, take stock of what energized you most in your previous role — not just the tasks, but the impact you enjoyed making.

Sometimes the right move isn’t a full career change, but a reframed version of what you already do best.

I always recommend exploring your next step through small experiments: freelance projects, certifications, or even informational interviews.

These let you test new waters without burning bridges.

Whether you pivot or stay your course, choose a direction that aligns with your evolving strengths, not your past title.

Small Experiments Test Pivot or Stay

Dr. Seth Crapp
Founder & CEO, Specialty Focused Radiology

I got laid off during the pandemic when radiology volumes crashed by 40-50% nationwide and practices were cutting doctors across specialties.

I had just launched South Florida Radiology—terrible timing. I had to choose: find stable employment or keep building my company during the worst possible market conditions.

I stayed because I could see a specific problem nobody was solving: pediatric hospitals and community facilities had zero access to pediatric radiologists after-hours and on weekends.

Kids were waiting 12-18 hours for reads or getting misdiagnosed by general radiologists unfamiliar with pediatric imaging.

That gap was real, urgent, and I had the exact credentials to fill it.

Here’s my test: can you point to a concrete problem you’ve already solved that still needs solving at scale? Not “I’m good at marketing” but “I reduced ER wait times by 6 hours for pediatric imaging reads.”

If you’ve got receipts like that, double down even when it’s scary. If you’re reaching for vague skills, explore the pivot.

One move that saved me: I called 8-10 hospital administrators during the valley and asked what kept them up at night.

Four said “we’re sending pediatric cases to general roads and getting callbacks.

” That confirmation—that my solution matched their actual pain—gave me the conviction to ride it out.

We’re now covering 50+ hospital partnerships because I stuck with the problem I could uniquely solve.

Solve Real Problems, Double Down Boldly

Kathy Bremer
Managing Partner, Boardwalk Consulting

When someone’s been laid off, the instinct is to act fast—update the résumé, polish the LinkedIn profile, and start applying.

But before you do, take a breath and look inward. The real question isn’t what’s next?—it’s what’s right for me now?

Start by asking: What do I love doing? What drains me? What am I good at—and what truly energizes me?

You are a unique mix of strengths, experiences, and values. That combination is your competitive advantage.

As an executive recruiter and someone who’s navigated 5 career transitions, I’ve seen again and again that purpose drives clarity.

Your purpose evolves over time, and when you align your next move with your purpose—what you’re meant to do in this season of your life—you not only find work faster, you find work that fits and fulfills you.

Align Next Step with Evolving Purpose

Daniel Reynolds
Marketing Director, Dynamo LED Displays

Start with demand and strengths.

Map your wins and transferable skills to roles hiring now.

In our AV/LED world, candidates who show measurable outcomes and fluency with workflows like CMS, content ops, or Novastar/Brompton control land fast.

If your lane has momentum, stay the course while you test a pivot on the side.

Run a 30-day sprint. 5 informational chats a week, a targeted portfolio, and one small paid project to validate fit.

Add quick credentials if useful, e.g., CTS, GA4, or HubSpot.
Decide by evidence, not fear.

Track interviews, offers, and learning pace.

30-Day Sprint Validates Career Choices

Elia Guidorzi
Marketing Director, Techni Waterjet

Start with a one-page impact inventory: projects and measurable wins.

Example: cut scrap 18% and lifted uptime 7% by fixing abrasive feed.

If your results are process-agnostic (CNC, CAM, lean), a pivot to applications, automation, or technical sales are low risk.

If you have niche depth (5-axis waterjet, taper compensation, pierce strategies), double down with OEMs or integrators where that skill earns a premium.

Bridge fast with targeted certs and proof: OSHA 30, PLC basics, and CAM refreshers.

Build a simple portfolio with brief case studies and nesting reports. Ask your supplier network for leads.

Either path works if you can show gains in uptime, accuracy, and cost.

Impact Inventory Shapes Low-Risk Pivot

The HR Spotlight team thanks these industry leaders for offering their expertise and experience and sharing these insights.

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Why Workplace AI Adoption is Quietly Becoming a Retention Risk

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February 26, 2026

Why Workplace AI Adoption is Quietly Becoming a Retention Risk

By Stephanie Davis Neill, COO of Click Boarding

The rapid adoption of AI has many employees, and organizations for that matter, feeling like everything is spinning. We are witnessing a pivotal moment in the evolution of the modern workplace. We have just released some new research at Click Boarding, which has found that mandated AI adoption is quietly emerging as a retention risk for employers.

AI processes being implemented across workplaces seem to currently be driving disengagement instead of delivering productivity gains. U.S. employee engagement has fallen to its lowest level in 10 years, while job-seeking activity is at a decade high. This month is especially high risk for employers, with the most resignations happening in March last year.

  • The leadership disconnect

A disconnect is apparent as only 4% of employers report employee resistance as a barrier to AI adoption. However, nearly a quarter of workers (22%) say that they would consider leaving a job because of this. This suggests many leaders are unaware of this growing resentment from employees. Analyzing social media posts, we found that employees are quitting over mandatory AI tools that reduce their autonomy, create extra processes and make their work feel less meaningful.

Search data also shows a 10% year over year increase in U.S. searches for “quitting my job.” More tellingly, we are seeing the emergence of specific queries like “made to use AI at work,” which now garners 1,000 monthly searches. This disengagement stems from the challenges of managing change, with AI adding another layer of uncertainty for employees and HR alike. When tools are mandated across a workforce without proper integration, it can create a friction that workers are increasingly unwilling to tolerate.

  • The burden of training your own replacement

A primary driver of employee frustration is the lack of inclusion in AI-related discussions with leadership. Our analysis found workers to have expressed discomfort with developing AI tools and reporting on their performance, something which is rooted in fears that the systems they train could eventually replace their own roles. Without transparency, employees may feel they are being asked to build the very tools that will lead to their job roles becoming obsolete.

In sectors like information, technology, and professional services, AI adoption and labor demand for AI skills are rising sharply. Stanford’s AI Index notes an 80% year over year increase in AI skill demand for the information sector alone. Yet, despite this demand, Glassdoor reviews for leading IT companies in the U.S. show that workers feel sidelined and want to be involved in AI-related discussions.

  • Quality concerns and the “AI Big Brother” effect

We also found that many employees still prefer to spend longer doing something without AI due to creativity and quality issues. In some cases, the pressure is so high that people are lying about their AI use to meet mandatory usage requirements. There are frustrations around poor AI performance blamed on “bad prompts”, and that management has too high expectations of AI to replace job responsibilities it is not yet capable of.

The implementation of these tools is sometimes also perceived as a new form of surveillance. One Glassdoor review described their organization’s AI tools as “AI Big Brother,” negatively mentioning having daily screen time tracked down to the minute. Another suggested that those who do not engage with, or believe in, AI, faced worsened career prospects. This creates a culture of performative adoption rather than genuine, productive integration.

  • Rethinking change management for the AI era

Even before AI, change management has always been one of the most challenging things to get right in business. HR is often looked at to lead these efforts, but HRs are navigating the same uncertainty as the rest of the staff. We must remember that just as AI must learn and iterate, so do the employees working alongside it. It is a gradual process of adaptation and not a binary event that happens overnight.

To mitigate AI-related retention risks, I recommend that employers update compliance-driven policies to include AI guidelines and share key AI process information early in onboarding. It is essential to ensure that employees acknowledge these too. This sets a foundation of transparency for the entire tenure of the employee, and sharing this information early helps set the right expectations from day one.

  • The power of proactive feedback loops

Internal feedback mechanisms, especially anonymous ones, often provide a place for disengaged employees to communicate some of the frustration that can build up. This is especially vital when regular conversations are not happening with a direct leader. Providing regular and open feedback channels will allow organizations to address concerns proactively. By listening to their staff, organizations can pivot their AI strategies to be more supportive.

Ultimately, the goal is to keep employees engaged and empowered as AI adoption continues to evolve. You can learn more about the retention risk of getting AI adoption wrong to ensure your organization is on the right side of this transition.

Stephanie David Neill

About the Author

As COO, Stephanie Davis Neill leads efforts to retain and grow Click Boarding’s customer base while optimizing operations for scalable growth. With over 25 years of experience in operations across startups, private-equity-backed firms, and Fortune-ranked companies, she is a proven change leader, most recently serving as VP of Customer Success & Direct Sales at Aaron’s.

Passionate about building efficient processes, she applies Lean/Six Sigma methodologies to drive strategic problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration. Her expertise spans B2B account management, customer experience, and service management. A Georgia Tech graduate, Stephanie enjoys traveling and volunteering when not at home in Marietta, Georgia, with her family and rescue dog, Peanut.

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