{"id":70009,"date":"2024-12-16T16:26:33","date_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:26:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/?p=70009"},"modified":"2024-12-16T16:28:13","modified_gmt":"2024-12-16T14:28:13","slug":"a-guide-to-leave-management-best-practices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/a-guide-to-leave-management-best-practices\/","title":{"rendered":"A guide to leave management best practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/category\/people-leadership\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">People &amp; Leadership<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA guide to leave management best practices\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \">Published <time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2024-12-16T16:26:33+02:00\">December 16, 2024<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"A guide to leave management best practices\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/a-guide-to-leave-management-best-practices\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/author\/ziataylor5\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2021\/09\/Zia-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Zia Taylor<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management is a critical \u2013 and complex \u2013 part of any business\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/glossary\/what-is-payroll\/\">payroll<\/a> process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave needs to be tracked accurately for it to be recompensed correctly, for the company to remain legally compliant, and ensure that employee morale remains intact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As if the process wasn\u2019t complicated enough, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/strategies-for-managing-payroll-complexity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hybrid and remote work has thrown in some added complexities<\/a> for already long-suffering HR teams. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Have businesses managed to adapt? And if so, how have they approached this? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The answer, it seems, is to \u2018keep it simple, silly.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-here-s-what-we-ll-cover\">Here&#8217;s what we&#8217;ll cover<\/h3>\n\n\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><div class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-table-of-contents yoast-table-of-contents\"><ul><li><a href=\"#h-homing-in-on-hybrid\" data-level=\"2\">Homing in on hybrid<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-homesick-gt-office-sick\" data-level=\"2\">Homesick &gt; office sick?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-leave-management-best-practices\" data-level=\"2\">Leave management best practices<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-you-don-t-need-to-go-it-alone\" data-level=\"2\">You don&rsquo;t need to go it alone<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-if-you-snooze-you-ll-lose-money-people-and-time\" data-level=\"2\">If you snooze, you&rsquo;ll lose &ndash; money, people, and time<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#h-final-thoughts\" data-level=\"2\">Final thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-homing-in-on-hybrid\">Homing in on hybrid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While some companies prefer a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/hr-support-better-work-life-balance-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hybrid of remote \/ work from home (WFH) and in-office work<\/a>, others have elected to offer remote work as a permanent option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regardless of which model your business follows, leave management remains vital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, tracking what kind of leave your remote employees are taking is not without its challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While most people are likely to be honest about the type of leave they request, there is room for abuse of the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because of this, many companies have opted to grant Paid Time Off (PTO) as opposed to traditional annual leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The premise of this is simple: employees are given a fixed number of paid leave days annually, which are accrued in much the same way as traditional leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The difference, however, is that employees can take these days for whatever reason they choose without having to disclose the reason to their employer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The idea is that this will give employees greater control of their time while providing the benefit of flexibility to celebrate cultural or religious holidays or even to take a mental health day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paid Time Off still requires a leave management system, and an automated,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"> cloud-based HR and payroll system<\/a> is best suited to the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Policies, rules, and regulations can be plugged into the system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees can access the portal remotely to apply for their PTO or check their accrued leave balances and other information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When both employer and employee have a clear line of sight of the leave calendar, it allows for informed decision-making around contingency planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-homesick-gt-office-sick\">Homesick &gt; office sick?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We\u2019ve all heard of absenteeism, but presenteeism? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Absenteeism is when an employee has taken leave due to an unexpected illness, death in the family, or something similar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the other hand, presenteeism is when employees are in-office but are not actively engaged or working to their full potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The cost of absenteeism is high as it impacts the workloads of others and makes project output unpredictable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Research shows that absenteeism goes down when there is a stringent absence policy and leave management system in place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Company culture and employee morale also influence the rate of absenteeism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A workforce that feels valued and appreciated is less likely to disengage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the case of presenteeism, employees are physically in the office when they\u2019re ill but are not as productive as is required of them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Presenteeism costs a company even more than absenteeism and is a symptom of an overloaded workforce that lacks motivation, engagement, and a sense of job security. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One way to tackle presenteeism is to promote work\/life balance and general office wellbeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a PTO or sick leave policy that is well communicated and effectively managed will go a long way in limiting both absenteeism and presenteeism and can significantly reduce the impact these absences have on your company\u2019s bottom line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-leave-management-best-practices\">Leave management best practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every system has best practices, and leave management is no different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are four best practices you need to know:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-document\"><strong>Document<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Be sure to document every interaction regarding leave requests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having a centralised <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/cp\/cloudtechnology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HR and payroll system with a built-in leave management system<\/a> will ensure not only the tracking of your data but also the accuracy, safety, and compliance of your information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-sticking-to-policy\"><strong>Sticking to policy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A leave management policy should be drawn up, thoroughly communicated, and followed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An automated leave management system will allow you to input your policy rules and regulations, effectively enforcing compliance simply by using the portal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-compliance\"><strong>Compliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As HR and payroll rules and regulations change often, it is essential to have a leave management system that will update automatically with each change, thus ensuring that your company and employees stay compliant with all industry regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-monitoring\"><strong>Monitoring<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the policy is set, it is essential to track and measure its effectiveness and update requirements as and when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-you-don-t-need-to-go-it-alone\">You don\u2019t need to go it alone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manual leave management is the stuff of nightmares. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Keeping track of who\u2019s on leave when, what kind of leave they\u2019ve taken, and their balances according to which leave schedule is enough to make your HR hairs stand on end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/three-reasons-to-switch-from-manual-to-cloud-based-hr\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">there\u2019s no reason to do it manually anymore<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Any HR software worth its salt will offer you leave management integration that will allow you to track time and attendance according to your leave policies and procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/products\/sage-300-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sage 300 People<\/a>, you get even more than that. It has built-in web-based employee self-service functionality that offers a range of user-friendly, time-saving tools that allow your people to manage their HR processes and information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Employees can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Apply for leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage their claims<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage their personal information like next of kin or banking details<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View and print payslips and tax certificates<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete performance reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Apply for training<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Upload qualifications<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Managers can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Upload job requisitions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Approve transactions<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Manage performance reviews<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View employees\u2019 leave<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Print reports<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-if-you-snooze-you-ll-lose-money-people-and-time\">If you snooze, you\u2019ll lose \u2013 money, people, and time<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having the right <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/cp\/cloudtechnology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">HR and payroll software<\/a> is no longer a luxury. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you don\u2019t want your business to lose time, money, and talent, you need to jump on board as soon as you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s what using the right software can do for your business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-help-you-hire-the-best-candidates\"><strong>Help you hire the best candidates<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Efficient recruitment and applicant management will help you hire the right people \u2013 that is, people who won\u2019t require extensive training or supervision to do their job, saving you time and money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-grow-your-talent-pool\"><strong>Grow your talent pool<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Get the most out of your team by ensuring that each person is best suited to their role and contributing to the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This can be done by tracking performance reviews and appraisals, engaging your employees, and building a culture of trust and transparency that supports your goals as a team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ensure-compliance\"><strong>Ensure compliance<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With the ever-changing payroll laws and regulations, having HR and payroll software that automatically updates is essential to enable compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-improve-productivity\"><strong>Improve productivity<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With HR and payroll software, many time-consuming, manual tasks are made redundant, as is scheduling and approving leave requests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Self-service tools, in particular, save time and reduce the admin burden, allowing you to focus on more productive tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-improve-decision-making-with-analytics-and-insights\"><strong>Improve decision-making with analytics and insights<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Manually processing data leaves room for error as you sift through wads of information on spreadsheets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With an HR and payroll solution, data is automatically generated, collated, and analysed to determine real-time patterns and trends that will help inform decision-making. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is particularly helpful in leave management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-final-thoughts\">Final thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditional leave management systems no longer make sense in hybrid and remote environments with an ever-connected workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Leave management software and systems have had to adapt to keep pace with the rapidly changing world of work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sage 300 People offers you extensive facilities to administer and ensure compliance with leave rules, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlimited number of leave types and entitlements applicable to different employees<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unlimited history, automatically maintained<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automatic calculation of accurate and up-to-date balances for all leave types<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ability to view future planned leave for each employee<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>View leave by Division\/Department\/Section\/Cost centre<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Comprehensive leave reports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Financial accrual and liability of leave days<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Overtime management and integration with the payroll module<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shift or work schedule management<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Notifications of leave expiry based on user-defined dates<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having an HR and payroll software solution that offers an integrated leave management system with an employee self-service portal is not the future \u2013 it\u2019s the present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Isn\u2019t it time you bring your business into the now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Editor&#8217;s note: this article was originally published in April 2022 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner on-scroll-highlight__target\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice enewsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get a roundup of our best business advice in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-84fe79b5-668d-41f8-a0cc-6229018c4ac9\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1181404518-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/compliance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCompliance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/tag\/hr-payroll\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHR &amp; Payroll\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-0 post-76509 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-employee-benefits tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business card-post--is-clickable\"\n>\n\t<div class=\"card-post__media-wrapper\">\n\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-07-29T10:39:40+02:00\">July 29, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">11 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-the-organisational-skills-gap\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tWhat is the organisational skills gap and how can businesses close it?\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tDiscover how to identify and close the organisational skills gap. Learn practical strategies for workforce planning, skills development, internal mobility, and skills-based hiring.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-76381 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-technology-innovation tag-artificial-intelligence tag-business-management tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/what-is-ai-in-hr\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure 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business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/employee-onboarding-process\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-768x478.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-944060494-1300x810.jpg 1300w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-14T12:28:58+02:00\">May 14, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">15 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe ultimate employee onboarding guide\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-76128 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountants tag-audit tag-bookkeeping tag-business-intelligence tag-compliance tag-financial-insights tag-profit-loss tag-staying-competitive tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/accounts-payable-journal-entry\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-768x585.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2019\/04\/GettyImages-508067071_super-1064x810.jpg 1064w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-01T13:42:18+02:00\">May 1, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tAccounts payable journal entry explained: Definition, types and examples\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-76011 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-people-leadership category-trends-insights tag-business-intelligence tag-employing-people-for-the-first-time tag-hr-payroll tag-trending-topics business_type-small-business business_type-medium-business\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/the-hr-and-payroll-leaders-report\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman looks to camera with the Sage glow line in the background.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-768x518.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2026\/03\/The-HR-Payroll-Leaders-Report-CTA-Image-1200x810.jpeg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-03-10T12:31:22+02:00\">March 10, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe HR and Payroll Leaders&#8217; Report: How 1,000 professionals are adapting to change\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Explore this comprehensive guide to leave management best practices. Including managing presenteeism, hybrid working and how HR software can help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1295,"featured_media":69677,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"_pwl_sage_podcast_buzzsprout_src":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[321,201],"business_type":[3],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[14],"imagine_tag":[57,100],"coauthors":[447],"class_list":["post-70009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-people-leadership","tag-compliance","tag-hr-payroll","business_type-medium-business"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-za","author_name":"Zia Taylor","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1171809453.jpg","imagine_tags":{"57":"HR and Payroll","100":"Payroll software"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice South Africa","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/1295"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70009"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70009\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/69677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=70009"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-za\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=70009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}