Hewitt Associates has added participant advocacy services to its absence management solution, a move the company says improves the employee leave or disability experience through “a more holistic, personal touch.”

The Lincolnshire, Ill.-based human resources consulting and outsourcing firm, said the new advocacy feature “expands the breadth and scope” of its absence management offering by pairing each employee on extended leave with a highly-trained participant advocate, who aids them with issues including eligibility and billing issues.

The company said in a statement that absence claims are usually associated with life-changing events, thus it can be difficult for workers to also handle the “challenges related to processing their absence.

“By integrating advocacy into our absence management solution, we’re able to support the entire person—from the legal and compliance-related elements of the claim to the actual health event,” said Kim Stattner, Hewitt’s absence management strategy and product development leader, in a statement. “With guidance from an advocate, an employee also might access a program that prevents a future absence event and improves his or her overall health. And ultimately, a healthier employee generates improved ‘business health’ for the employer.”