Sparrow Gazette

September 2025

Sparrow’s high‑tech, high‑touch approach means we’re continually improving both our software and the support we provide.

Product Updates

New Features

Employee self-initiated leaves

Employees can now initiate their own leaves in Sparrow—no HR kickoff required. This feature streamlines intake and ensures employees receive timely guidance from day one.

What changes for HR

  • ​A new Tasks section to track outstanding actions.

  • A Leaves Requiring Attention dashboard section.

  • More automated notifications, including a periodic task digest and alerts when employees initiate new leaves.

We’ll continue to expand these HR workflow enhancements, including availability for customers who choose not to enable self‑initiated leaves.

Enablement

This feature is off by default. To learn more or enable it for your organization, contact your concierge team at [email protected].

Learn more about Employee self‑initiated leaves here. 

QuickView in your dashboard

We’ve released the first version of QuickView, a centralized panel in your Sparrow Dashboard that surfaces key configuration information, including Core Company Details, Core Sparrow Details, and your Company Communication Matrix.

Coming soon, your organization’s Leave Policies will appear as additional tabs.

Note: The QuickView is not yet customer‑editable. If anything needs updating, please contact your concierge team at [email protected].

Additional employee questions for certain leave types

To help us process leaves more efficiently and accurately, we’ve added a short set of onboarding questions for medical, family caregiver, and family military caregiver leaves:

  • When do you expect to start your leave?

  • What is your expected leave duration?

  • Do you expect to take leave intermittently (multiple intervals)?

  • Please share any additional notes pertinent to your leave (optional)

Payroll schedule selection workflow

To improve payroll processing time and accuracy, HR can now confirm an employee’s payroll schedule:

  • When adding a leave: on the Employee Information screen.

  • When editing a leave: via Employee Profile → Work History, Income, and Insurance.

Coming Soon!

Sparrow Help Center

We’re building a centralized Help Center where employees, HR teams, managers, and HR business partners (HRBPs) can access role‑specific resources drawn from Sparrow’s deep expertise in leave management.

End of Year Survey

In October, Sparrow will send each customer a short survey to capture your plans for 2026—including private disability insurance updates, payroll schedules, company holidays, policy changes, and any context you want us to know as we plan for managing your leaves next year.

Sharing these updates early helps us deliver a seamless, accurate experience for your team throughout 2026.

State Benefit Program Updates

Washington HB 1213 Notice requirements

Washington State’s HB 1213—first covered in our July 2025 Gazette—takes effect on January 1, 2026. The amendment expands Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) job protections, requires continuation of health benefits during PFML, adds new employer notice obligations, and shortens the minimum leave duration. Several provisions still await regulatory guidance. Sparrow is working with our legal partners at Littler to interpret the requirements and their implications for employers, and we’ll share detailed recommendations in the next Gazette. For background, see our post: Washington expands PFML job protections in 2026—what employers need to know.

Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave (MN PFML)

Beginning on January 1, 2026, Minnesota will begin paying PFML benefits. Weekly benefits are calculated on a tiered formula tied to the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW), which is $1,423.00 as of October 2024.

Employer action required

  • Post and distribute the MN PFML poster by December 1, 2025. Minnesota requires employers to notify employees in their native language and hang a workplace poster in English and any language spoken by five or more employees. The poster in English is now available (pending other languages).

  • Review and update your leave policy to accurately describe MN PFML and how it coordinates with any company‑paid leave.

How Sparrow helps

Sparrow will guide eligible employees through their MN PFML claims and update payroll plans to account for MN PFML benefits so pay is coordinated accurately.

Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave (DE PFML)

Delaware benefits begin on January 1, 2026. Eligible employees may receive 80% of their average weekly wage, capped at $900/week.

Coordination rule to note

Delaware requires employers to state whether company-paid leave and any private disability policy are primary or secondary to DE PFML (see 19 Del. Admin. Code § 1401-10 and our Delaware blog).

  • If your company-paid leave is secondary, DE PFML will not deduct those amounts from the employee’s DE PFML benefit.

  • If your policy does not specify, Delaware will treat your company paid leave policy as primary and will deduct company-paid leave from the DE PFML benefit.

Employer action required

  • Update your leave policy to clearly specify if company paid leave is secondary to DE PFML.

  • Provide employees with the required notice upon hiring of the employee, upon leave request, when you learn that the employee’s leave may be for a qualifying event, and at least 30 days before they gain or lose any PFML coverage.

How Sparrow helps

Sparrow will issue the required DE PFML notice upon leave request, support eligible employees with their DE PFML claims, and adjust payroll plans to reflect state benefits per your policy’s primary/secondary designation.

Sparrow in the Press

We’re honored to share that Sparrow has been named to the 2025 Inc. Magazine 5000 list of fastest-growing companies!

This recognition celebrates the dedication of our team and the trust of our customers and partners. Every day, we strive to make leave management effortless so companies can focus on supporting their people.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this achievement—here’s to growing with purpose and impact!

Read more: Sparrow Ranks on the 2025 Inc. 5000 List

Customer Spotlight

How Anduril Unlocked State Leave Benefits and Simplified Compliance

Anduril, a defense technology company at the forefront of national security innovation, faced growing complexity in navigating multi-state leave requirements as its workforce expanded. By partnering with Sparrow, Anduril streamlined the entire leave process—ensuring employees received every benefit available, including state-specific wage replacements, without burdening HR. The result: improved employee trust, reduced compliance risk, and more time for the people team to focus on mission-critical initiatives. Read more here. 

How Platform Science Upgraded Their Employee Leave Experience

Platform Science, a connected vehicle platform serving the transportation industry, needed a scalable leave solution as it grew rapidly across states. Sparrow provided a centralized, full-service system that handled everything from payroll coordination to real-time employee communication. For Platform Science, this meant less administrative lift, fewer errors, and a modern, supportive leave experience that matched the company’s forward-thinking culture. HR teams now spend less time untangling leave logistics and more time supporting employees. Dive into the story here.

Want to feature your story? Let your Leave Specialist know!

Know Someone Who Could Benefit From Sparrow?

Our customers are our best advocates. If you know a colleague or peer at another company who’s navigating the challenges of employee leave, we’d love an introduction. Referrals help us grow our community of HR leaders building supportive, compliant, and efficient leave programs. Share Sparrow with your network and we’ll give you a $50 Amazon gift card when they take a demo. Refer them here.

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