The Overlooked Onboarding: Welcoming Employees Back From Leave
Aug 22, 2025
Rhiana Gademsky
CEO & Co-Founder
Aidora – Aidora is an AI-powered integrated software that enables HR teams to efficiently and cost-effectively manage leave of absences in-house, while ensuring legal compliance and a best-in-class employee experience.
The Overlooked Onboarding: Welcoming Employees Back From Leave
When most people think of onboarding, they think of the first day a new hire walks through the (real or virtual) doors. But there’s another critical, and often overlooked, onboarding moment: when an employee returns from leave.
Whether it’s parental, medical, or caregiver leave, returning employees are stepping back into a workplace that may look very different from the one they left. Teams may have shifted, priorities may have changed, and even the culture may feel unfamiliar. Without thoughtful re-onboarding, employees can feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or undervalued.
Handled well, however, re-onboarding can build trust, speed up ramp time, and show employees they’re supported right when it matters most.
Why Re-Onboarding Matters
Each year, about 10% of employees take a leave of absence, whether to welcome a new child, recover from a medical or mental health condition, care for a loved one, or address other personal needs.
The way organizations handle their return can have long-term consequences:
Poor return experiences often lead to disengagement and attrition, particularly among caregivers and parents.
Great re-onboarding reduces turnover, boosts morale, and protects the significant investment organizations have already made in talent.
It’s not enough to have a smooth, compliant leave process. Employees will remember how they felt coming back, and if re-onboarding is bumpy, that becomes their lasting impression.
Core Elements of a Successful Re-Onboarding Plan
Building a thoughtful re-onboarding plan doesn’t require an overhaul. A few structured, intentional steps can make all the difference:
Pre-return planning – Align with HR and managers 1–2 weeks before the employee’s return to set expectations and update them on what’s changed.
First-day structure – Provide a warm welcome back message, a clear calendar overview, and intentional re-introductions to colleagues.
Phased reintegration – Consider reduced hours, flexible schedules, or ramped-up responsibilities over the first few weeks to ease the transition.
Clear expectations – Align on goals, performance timelines, and workload prioritization to remove ambiguity.
Manager enablement – Equip managers with talking points, empathy-driven approaches, and clarity around their role in ensuring a smooth return.
Re-Onboarding Pitfalls to Avoid
Just as important as what to do is what not to do. Common mistakes include:
One-size-fits-all plans – A new parent’s needs are very different from someone recovering from a medical leave. Context matters.
Skipping updates – Failing to brief employees on team changes, new tools, or strategy shifts can leave them feeling lost.
Lack of check-ins – Without structured feedback loops, employees can feel isolated or disconnected, particularly in remote environments.
Unrealistic expectations – Assuming an employee is “back to 100%” on day one sets them up for failure and frustration.
HR’s Role: How to Build a Scalable Re-Onboarding Experience
For HR and People Teams, re-onboarding doesn’t have to mean reinventing the wheel. With the right systems in place, it can become a repeatable, supportive, and scalable process:
Create return-to-work templates – Build out standard communications, manager guides, and task lists within your onboarding tool.
Automate reminders & check-ins – Schedule touchpoints at 1, 4, and 8 weeks to track progress and gather feedback.
Leverage ERGs or buddy programs – Peer support helps returning employees feel connected and understood.
Train managers – Provide best practices for supporting employees through leave transitions and re-onboarding.
Use technology – Platforms like Camino or Aidora streamline compliance, automate tasks, and centralize resources so nothing slips through the cracks.
Final Thoughts
Onboarding doesn’t end after day one, and it doesn’t just apply to new hires. Re-onboarding employees after leave is one of the most powerful ways to show your people that they’re truly valued.
Done well, it keeps talent engaged, accelerates ramp-up, and reinforces your culture at a pivotal moment in the employee lifecycle.
If your organization hasn’t formalized a re-onboarding plan yet, now is the time to start. Your employees, and your retention metrics, will thank you.