Why Leave Management Builds Employee Trust

Deborah Hanus, CEO and Cofounder of Sparrow, joins Tony Buffum on the Human Cloud Podcast HR to talk about why leave management is one of the most overlooked drivers of employee trust, retention, and burnout.

Deborah explains how fragmented leave processes create risk and unnecessary stress for both employees and HR teams, especially as paid leave rules continue to expand across states and cities. She shares why leave should be treated as a critical moment in the employee journey, how re-onboarding after leave impacts engagement, and how Sparrow combines automation with human support to manage compliance, paperwork, and pay.

The conversation also outlines the business case for modern leave management, including meaningful time savings for HR teams, reduced compliance risk, and a 4–10x financial return through effective recovery of benefits and salary costs.