AbsenceSoft Launches AI-Powered Chat and Leave Planner to Reduce HR Rework and Improve Leave Request Accuracy

MyAbsence powered by AbsenceSoftAI combines AI-guided chat and visual leave planning to help employees choose the right leave reason and preview their leave before they submit. AI guides the conversation, while the AbsenceSoft Compliance Engine™ (ACE) and HR teams make every determination.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AbsenceSoft, the leading provider of leave and accommodations management SaaS solutions, today announced MyAbsence powered by AbsenceSoftAI, an AI-guided chat and leave planner to complement the employee self-service portal. Together, they address a problem that starts at the first step of the leave process: employees often don't know which leave to request or what they qualify for. They submit the wrong request, and HR teams are left to spend time correcting.

For employers, the cost of an inaccurate leave request adds up quickly. HR teams spend time correcting requests and explaining entitlements, cases fall behind schedule, and missed deadlines create compliance risks. AbsenceSoft's 2026 State of Leave and Accommodations report shows how widely HR teams feel this strain. Among employers, 31% cited calculating eligibility for leave entitlements as a top challenge. Employees feel it too. In AbsenceSoft's 2026 Leave and Accommodations Employee Experience Report, 39% of employees who had taken a leave said the process was unclear or confusing.

MyAbsence helps employees start leave the right way, from their first question to a finished request. First, an AI-guided chat powered by AbsenceSoftAI turns the traditional leave request form into a question-and-answer exchange. It helps employees choose the right reason for their leave and asks the questions needed to identify which state, federal, and company policies may apply. Then a leave planner built on ACE gives employees a visual preview of what their leave could look like, including whether the time off is paid or unpaid, before they submit. Employees are guided from their first question to a finished request. They can download their leave plan or submit it directly to their leave team for review, connecting planning and submission in one experience.

For HR teams, the result is more accurate requests from day one, fewer follow-up questions, and cases that stay on schedule. Leave teams save time because employees arrive at the right request with a clear plan, not a stack of questions. Employees get clarity during a stressful time, and an easier experience makes self-service a more appealing option than picking up the phone.

Unlike other leave planners, MyAbsence is built on ACE, which draws on more than 10 years of compliance data and more than 200 federal and state laws, so the plan reflects the company, state, and federal policies along with the employment information already in the employee's record, such as location and tenure, so the chat asks only the questions relevant to that person and collects the right inputs upfront. The plan then connects directly to submission, so employees move from planning to requesting leave in one experience without starting over.

"Taking time away is stressful enough without wondering what you're entitled to or whether you'll be paid," said Jaclyn Zhuang, Chief Product Officer at AbsenceSoft. "Now employees can see what their leave could look like before they apply, and HR teams start every case with more accurate information to meet compliance deadlines. MyAbsence adapts the conversation to each person's situation while ACE applies the compliance logic, and HR stays in control of every decision."

"The expectation for leave has changed. Employees want to know where they stand before they ask, and HR teams want to start every case with confidence," said Chris Murphy, CEO of AbsenceSoft. "The demand is only growing, and MyAbsence is how AbsenceSoft is meeting it, setting a new bar for what employees and employers should expect from the first step of leave."

Center for Human Development, a human services organization, is one of the first customers using MyAbsence. "The chat gave me answer choices that matched my situation and picked up on what I needed right away," said Patricia Rodriguez, HR Director. Employees, including one who had never taken leave before, told her, "This is so easy". Her team is noticing the effect further down the line, too. "I'm not correcting people's cases as much," one team member said. The leave plan made an impression as well, especially for employees who struggle to follow how leave works. "The visual leave plan will help people understand their leave far better. I personally love it. It's a valuable tool."

MyAbsence is available now to select AbsenceSoft customers, with broader availability planned for early 2027. Learn more about MyAbsence powered by AbsenceSoftAI here.

About AbsenceSoft
AbsenceSoft is the leading leave management and accommodations platform in the U.S. We deliver scalable, easy-to-use, and configurable software to easily and efficiently manage 200+ statutory policies like the FMLA, the ADA, and the PWFA. Our software streamlines and automates leave and accommodations processes, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations while elevating the employee experience. Built by leave professionals, for leave professionals, AbsenceSoft is trusted by employers across industries, Third Party Administrators (TPAs), and Professional Employee Organizations (PEOs) to manage over seven million lives. Learn more at absencesoft.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Jordan King
386.688.1821
426254@email4pr.com

SOURCE AbsenceSoft