​In the evolving landscape of workplace absences, disability claims have long been a cornerstone of employer policies. However, as leave programs such as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state-level unpaid job protection, and more recently Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) initiatives have expanded in scope and visibility, it is increasingly becoming these policies that are shaping the employee experience. While traditionally an employer’s disability policy was the key component of an employee’s time away from work, disability programs have become somewhat commoditized and are now viewed more as a starting point. Instead, leave programs that support a broader range of leave types and often provide richer benefits have become central to how employees perceive their workplace support during critical life events.

Do you remember the movie The Imitation Game? It’s a 2014 film where Benedict Cumberbatch plays Alan Turing, the brilliant mathematician whose work on breaking the Enigma code helped end World War II. What stuck out was Turing’s central question: Can machines think like humans? ​