What changed after Steno switched leave management systems?

Steno at a glance

• Industry: Court Reporting & Legal Technology
• Leave volume: 65.9% utilization
• Why they switched: Manual processes, slow support response, incorrect payroll files
• Hours saved: 150 since implementing Cocoon 1 year ago

Challenge:

Steno’s previous leave management vendor was manual and had longer response times, leaving them to: 

• Fill out forms and paperwork by hand with little guidance
• Correct payroll files that still contained errors
• Wait days to weeks for answers to urgent leave questions
• Struggle to scale the system as their team grew

Solution:

Steno now runs leave through a modern, scalable leave management system that handles compliance across 40+ states, automates payroll breakdowns, tackles even the trickiest claims forms, and actually responds when employees need help.

Results:

Significant time savings for People Ops
Administrative burden lifted, allowing the team to focus on scaling initiatives, onboarding improvements, and meaningful employee support.

Fast and confident employee support
Quick support response times and clear in-system education reduced back-and-forth and empowered employees to self-serve.

Automated compliance across 40+ states
From California EDD to short term disability claims—and how they reconcile with Steno’s policies—the team can trust Cocoon’s guidance.

Accurate, instant payroll
Automated, accurate pay breakdowns give employees a clear idea from day one of when and how they’re paid on leave.

Meet Alanah Bradshaw, People Operations Manager at Steno

Like many People Ops Managers, Alanah Bradshaw wears a lot of hats. “My day-to-day has me wearing many hats,” she says. “I tackle all things leave admin, benefits, payroll, employee experience, and employee relations—which goes hand-in-hand with leave.”

With a relatively young workforce, and a parental leave program employees actually use, leave management isn’t an occasional one-off, but a part of daily operations—especially because Steno is growing. To scale and build a more technology-forward culture, the People Ops team focused on increasing self-service tools, improving onboarding and education, and using data to make better decisions. But one part of their infrastructure didn’t match those goals: their leave management system.

As much as I’d love to sit down with every employee every time something comes up, that’s just not realistic at this stage. We need to rely on technology to tackle certain pieces, so we can be strategic about our work and how we support employees.”

Why Steno needed to leave their leave management provider

Before Cocoon, Steno used another leave management software. Though it was more robust than a homegrown spreadsheet, it didn’t reduce the administrative burden, and often times, it created more:

• Claims and disability forms required manual completion
• Payroll calculations often needed corrections
• Different state and short-term disability workflows were a confusing burden
• Employees didn’t get timely answers, forcing People Ops to step in
• Account managers weren’t dialed in with Steno’s policies

“The level of service that I expected—that they’d be the experts on policies, paperwork, and state requirements—just wasn’t there,” Alanah explains. “That’s why we hire a leave management system in the first place.”

With more employees in more places, and leave usage increasing, it was clear their leave management solution was actually a problem. “I sat down and did the math one day and it was obvious. There was no way we could scale the business if every time someone files EDD or a STD form I’m filling it out for them. I needed a true partner.”

Why Steno chose Cocoon for leave management

When Steno went back into the market, their expectations had changed. Originally they chose their leave management software because of a payroll push integration, but that convenience was far outweighed by everything else it lacked.

Introduced through Sequoia, Cocoon quickly stood out—not just for its product, but for how it supported employees and People Ops alike, with:

• Clear response times and reliable support staff
• Built-in guidance for even the trickiest forms
• Employee confidentiality and self-service planning
• Automated, transparent payroll breakdowns
• Adaptability across each state
• A modern system that felt intuitively and intentionally designed

Steno’s easy Cocoon implementation

Steno began implementing Cocoon in February 2025, and hasn’t looked back.

“It’s rare to say this, but the implementation was so easy. It was a breeze. Cocoon’s team broke down exactly what they needed on a clear timeline. Our implementation partner worked her magic to make sure everything was built out correctly and that our policies were baked right into the planning system.”

“The first leave that I didn’t have to fill out EDD or STD forms for… that was a huge moment!”

What changed after switching leave management systems

An easy implementation was just the beginning. Once it was clear that Cocoon wasn’t just filling the gaps left by their old provider, but actually going above and beyond as an extension of their team, Cocoon is sticking around a year later, and beyond for:

1. Leveled up strategy and support across People Ops

“I’ve saved so much time not filling out EDD, Guardian, New York State or whatever forms they might be. Getting that administrative burden off my shoulders, I can be more strategic in my day-to-day. I can now focus more emotional energy on what matters, to be truly present in these big personal moments with employees, instead of worried about the mountain of paperwork it’s going to take to help them through it.”

2. Self-serve and hands-on options for employees

“Employees being able to pre-plan their leave privately, and knowing exactly what their timeline and pay look like without having to discuss it with People Ops first or calculating anything manually—that’s exactly the self-serve option that helps us scale and offer a great employee experience… but when they need answers, Cocoon gets back to employees so quickly. They’re an extension of our team.”

3. Instant and accurate payroll

“Seeing that payroll breakdown right in Cocoon without having to calculate it or worry about it is a huge relief. Knowing that an employee sees exactly what they’re getting paid, when, by whom—which is always a major question about leave—that confidence and accuracy is worth every penny.”

4. A simpler system to handle multi-state, real-world complexity

“We don’t have complicated policies, but it’s one thing how it works on paper and another how it works in real life, across 40 different states and different situations. But even complex scenarios—like factoring California state disability pay with our internal policies or how holidays get handled—are all taken into account. I don’t have to keep up with every new leave law or worry that something will break.”

If your leave management solution is the problem like Steno’s was…

After working with two leave vendors, Alanah’s advice is clear:

“Ask the hard questions. Ask about response rates. Ask who handles employee questions and how. Make sure the provider feels like an extension of your team, because for something as delicate and important as leave, they basically need to be.”

If you’re still filling out paperwork manually, running through payroll files with a fine-tooth comb, or waiting for a leave rep to “call you back,” that’s not a leave problem, not a solution. If your team is still compensating for a system that doesn’t support you, Steno’s story proves you don’t have to settle. Explore how Cocoon can be the real leave management solution for you.