Sparrow Gazette

Sparrow

Gazette


March 2024


Sparrow’s high-tech, high-touch approach to leave management means that we are constantly improving both our software and customer experience. Here are some exciting developments:


Product Updates


We are excited to announce the rollout of the Sparrow Leave Tracker. The Leave Tracker will be shortly available to both employees and admins in their Sparrow dashboard, and will provide an up-to-the-minute step-by-step overview of what’s happening during each leave including leave dates, claim filings, compliance notices and other important milestones. The Leave Tracker is fully dynamic and personalized to each individual leave, so you can see exactly what milestones have been completed, are in progress, or are upcoming for each leave.

Note that the Leave Tracker will only be available for leaves introduced to Sparrow on or after 10/1/2023.


We have recently updated how we label leaves to better communicate where leaves are in their process.


The updated labels are:

  • Planning - the leave has been initiated but a leave plan has not yet been prepared

  • Upcoming - a plan has been prepared for this leave, and the leave has not yet started

  • On Leave - the employee is currently on leave

  • More Upcoming - the employee has returned to work but more leave is planned

  • Ended - the leave has ended but there are action items left for Sparrow or the employee

  • Complete - all parts of the leave process have concluded

Our team is continually working to improve the admin and the employee experience on Sparrow. Some of the recent improvements include:

  • Ability to sort by employee first and last names on the main dashboard. Additional sort and search functionality coming soon!

  • More help text for entering employee compensation.

  • Improvements to layout for the dashboard on mobile.


Compliance Updates


The Sparrow team regularly reviews federal, state, and local compliance updates. We’ve summarized a key update on Oregon’s reconciliation of the Oregon Family Leave Act and Paid Leave Oregon to eliminate overlap.


Some federal, state, and local regulations require employers to post information related to leave available to employees under applicable law. To help employers navigate this compliance landscape, Sparrow maintains a list of leave-related posters mandated within the U.S.


Customer Spotlight


To maintain their high employee care standards and continue their impressive growth trajectory, SonderMind needed a leave management partner who could handle all paperwork, compliance, payroll calculations, and communications — that’s why they partnered with Sparrow.  If you’d like to be featured, let your Leave Specialist know!


Sparrow’s Annual Benchmark Report


When building inclusive and robust employee leave policies, there are many factors to consider such as what leave types to include, how many weeks to offer, and who has access to state-run paid leave programs. After working with hundreds of caring employers and managing over one million days of leave, Sparrow shares insights gleaned from policies and usage data in our annual benchmark report!


Exciting Milestones


Sparrow is proud to announce that our customers have trusted us to manage more than 1 million days of employee leave, and our innovative technology and process have facilitated over $100 million in payroll cost savings! 


Join the Movement with Moms First & Paid Leave for All


It’s not too late to take part in our special referral program. When you refer companies to Sparrow, you not only help spread the word about Sparrow’s leave management solution, but we’ll also donate up to $10K to Moms First and Paid Leave for All, two leading organizations advocating for national paid leave and a more supportive workplace for families and caregivers.