New York – October 14, 2026 -- Only 26% of U.S. employers say they are very confident in their ability to administer leave accurately and in line with compliance standards, even as 76% now offer some form of caregiving leave, up from 71% last year, according to the 2027 NFP U.S. Leave Management Report.
NFP, an Aon company and a property and casualty (P&C) broker and benefits consultant, based the findings on a nationwide benchmarking survey of more than 1,000 employers across U.S. industries.
Employers rate their leave benefits higher than staff would
Nearly two-thirds of employers (63%) describe their leave benefits as generous. Fewer than half (48%) believe their employees would say the same. Maria Trapenasso, national practice leader for Talent Solutions at NFP, said a leave program creates no value unless employees understand, trust and feel comfortable using it.
More than half of employers are unaware of menopause legislation
The report found that 54% of employers were unaware of emerging menopause-related legislation. States are increasingly enacting requirements covering workplace accommodations, insurance coverage, anti-discrimination protections and employee education.
Few organizations currently offer menopause accommodations. Employer openness to providing them over the next five years rose to 34%, from 25% last year.
Bereavement leave for miscarriage and failed IVF reaches 35% of providers
Among employers offering bereavement leave, 35% now extend it to cover a miscarriage or failed IVF process. That compares with 28% when NFP first measured these offerings in 2023.
Manual leave administration takes three to five hours per request at 46% of firms
Among employers managing leave internally without dedicated software, 46% spend three to five hours administering each leave request, up from 37% last year. NFP said the figures underscore the growing operational burden of increasingly intricate leave programs.
Interest in technology and centralized support is rising. Some 32% of employers offer centralized employee support hubs that connect leave management with broader wellbeing and employee resources. Another 50% are considering or are open to implementing them.
The survey covered maternity and parental leave, family caregiver leave, bereavement leave, paid time off, leave administration, employee support resources and compliance-related considerations.