MAKING LEAVE OF ABSENCE MORE BEARABLE
Case Study - 2018
During this research-focused project, we were able to identify multiple gaps in the current Leave of Absence (LOA) process and provide solutions for reducing the time and effort to maintain LOA requests. We focused on the associates’ ability to self service and view/edit their LOA in real-time, including document submission.
Collaborative Partners
Bobby Bohman, Sr. Business Analyst
Pradeep Rao, Lead Developer
WHAT'S THE PROBLEM?
The human resources team identified associate pain points with the LOA process that caused our associates to be unaware of their status, receive unnecessary disciplinary actions, and have major concern when going on LOA. How might we address our associates’ concerns so that we can add transparency to the LOA process and what associates need to do while on it?
HERE'S THE STORY
As we approached this product, we took a wide look at the holistic process of the lifecycle of being an associate. I had the ability to pair with fellow user experience designers in the area. When we focused and interviewed associates on the experience of being on LOA, we heard some amazingly harrowing stories. With those stories and truly understanding the negative emotional impact of the current LOA system, we had several solutions, but the one that resonated with most of our associates ended up as a simple informational page within their existing personal profile. We identified key points like when they went on LOA, and when they were expected back, and even what paperwork was necessary upon return. The results of our efforts turned a mail-based, 30-day process into a 7-day, digital process with the ability for associates to upload documentation and receive digital reminders.
OUR USERS
Call Center Associates – Service Center
Associates
Contractors
SCOPE & CONSTRAINTS
Medical LOA affected ~35,000 associates in 2017
All LOA types affected ~60,000 associates
Most, if not all, steps in the process were handled by Call Center associates. These associates would spend approximate 30 min/call for eight hours a day, handling mostly informational requests
The LOA process took approximately 30 days to complete, but over 70% of LOA requests lasted less than 30 days
ROLE & RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy
Research Guide Creation
Discovery & Framing Planning
Research
Subject Matter Expert Interviews
LOA process analysis
Service Center associate shadowing
UI Design
Clickable Prototype creation allowing associates to look up their own information
Usability
Conducted 12 usability sessions
Collaboration
Regular team report outs
Facilitated Design Studios with partners and stakeholders
OUTCOMES
Reduced a 30-day process to seven days for an associate to be notified that they are on LOA, and what the company’s expectations are of the associate
We identified several areas for improvement and implemented digital upload of documentation and reminder notifications of upcoming deadlines
We reduced the LOA call volume to the service center by 72% in the first week of release, dropping from over 1,000 calls a week, to under 300. Calls would last approximately 30 minutes/call.
With this product, myself and two others were the first user experience designers assigned to the human resources space
This was the most personally impactful project I’ve worked on