Enhancements to the disability and leave experience at Stanford
Taking a leave of absence should be a supportive and seamless experience so you can take the time needed and transition back with ease. Stanford is continuing to improve the disability and leave experience for employees by making processes clearer and communications easier to understand.
When you take a leave of absence for disability, family care, maternity, or bonding time, Stanford partners with external vendors to help manage the process and benefits.
You may have seen the term “AbsenceOne” referenced in some leave-related materials. This term reflected a contractual agreement between our vendors: Sedgwick, Stanford’s disability and leave administrator, and Prudential, the vendor for non-California short-term and long-term disability for all employees, which created confusion for employees navigating a leave. Moving forward, communications will refer directly to our vendors, Sedgwick and Prudential. This change is already underway and will continue throughout February.
Using clear, direct vendor names helps clarify who is supporting your leave, where the information is coming from, and what to expect.
Where you’ll see this change
If you go on leave, you may now see Sedgwick and Prudential referenced directly in leave-related emails, letters, forms, and online materials, including the Cardinal at Work website. The process for requesting leave is not changing; only the name used to reference the vendors is changing.
This improvement is part of the university’s broader efforts to strengthen HR programs and processes and to prepare for the launch of Sequoia, Stanford’s new HR and Payroll system. You can learn more about Sequoia on Cardinal at Work.
Other recent improvements to the leave experience
Another recent enhancement related to this effort is the creation of Stanford’s Disability and Leave Center of Expertise (CoE). The team focuses on supporting employees and HR by identifying and implementing best practices in the Stanford leave experience, aiming to reduce confusion about where to seek guidance and ensure more consistent support.
The Disability and Leave CoE works closely with Sedgwick, which has recently enhanced its support model by assigning a dedicated case manager to each leave case. While employees will continue to contact Sedgwick through our current practices, a dedicated case manager will review case information and documentation to maintain continuity, ensure compliance, and help reduce handoffs, and support a more consistent experience throughout the leave process.
Additional improvements coming soon
When Sequoia launches in July, Stanford will implement consolidated paychecks for employees on leave. This means fewer separate payments and a simpler, more predictable pay experience while you are on leave.
These updates are designed to create a smoother experience for employees navigating their leave. As the program evolves, further enhancements will be announced, so stay tuned for additional updates.
For more information about Stanford’s leave benefits, visit Cardinal at Work.
