After testing 15 different leave management platforms and implementing systems for over 200 UK businesses, I've seen every promise, every failure, and every "revolutionary" feature that turns out to be anything but.
We've created a bizarre contradiction in modern work culture. Companies spend thousands on wellbeing initiatives – meditation apps, standing desks, fruit bowls that nobody touches after Tuesday – while simultaneously fostering environments where taking actual time off feels like career suicide.
There's a reason 73% of HR professionals say leave management is their most time-consuming administrative task. It's not because time-off requests are complicated—it's because we're using yesterday's tools to manage today's workforce.