Inside Eli Lilly: How They Manage Annual Leave for Employees and Contractors

Introduction

Eli Lilly is a major global pharmaceutical firm, with thousands of employees and contractors worldwide. Managing time off and annual leave at such a large scale can be complex. This article explores what is publicly known about Eli Lilly's HR and leave management systems, based on available sources.

Key Findings

• Beeline is used by Eli Lilly to manage and onboard contingent workers. This includes temporary staff and contractors, handling their identity, access, and engagement.
• There is no public confirmation of the specific HR or annual leave system used for Eli Lilly’s direct (permanent) employees.
• Industry sources sometimes suggest that large companies use platforms such as SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, or Oracle HCM, but there is no direct evidence Eli Lilly uses any of these for leave management.

Analysis

Beeline for Contingent Workers

The only HR software directly linked to Eli Lilly is Beeline, which is focused on managing external and temporary staff^1. Through Beeline, the company ensures smooth onboarding and tracks work for contractors. However, Beeline is not generally designed for tracking annual leave for permanent employees—it is more about contingent workforce management.

Unclear System for Permanent Staff

For core staff—those working at Eli Lilly on a permanent basis—there is no concrete information about which HR or annual leave system is used. The company mentions comprehensive benefits and time-off policies in its official reports^2, but does not specify the supporting technology.

Standard Practice vs. Actual Usage

It is common for multinational companies to choose robust solutions (like SAP SuccessFactors, Workday, or Oracle HCM) for HR and leave tracking. However, inferring Eli Lilly’s use of these systems without direct evidence would be speculative.

Conclusion

Eli Lilly clearly uses Beeline to manage its contingent, temporary workforce. The leave management process for full-time employees, however, is not made public. This is a reminder of the challenges in gaining precise HR software transparency from outside an organisation.

If you’re planning leave-management improvements at your own company, consider exploring staff holiday software designed for clarity and compliance at every scale.