Leave Specialist III

Job Overview

The Leave Specialist III is a member of the benefits team within the corporate Human Resources Group of Total Rewards. This role will manage and administer all leave requests for teammates including short-term and long-term disability, military, Family Medical Leave (FMLA), state leave programs, and company provided leave.  This role will also manage and administer the accommodations process under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)  in partnership with the Company’s third-party administrator. The Leave Specialist III is responsible for responding to teammate inquiries in a timely, accurate, and effective manner for an assigned case load. This role is also responsible for documenting and communicating any necessary actions to the appropriate party(s) and updating HR, and Management, as necessary. The Leave Specialist III will follow established procedures to provide a high level of customer service to all inquiries. This role provides support and communication to teammates, managers, human resources business partners, and vendors. The role will handle sensitive or complex processes, and work closely with subject matter experts, as appropriate. 

Duties & Responsibilities

• Serves as a primary point of contact for any leave or accommodation requests, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Serves as the subject matter expert for leave of absence in alignment and under the direction of the Manager, Leave Administrator. 
• Leads the interactive process through outcome/decision in each leave instance. Drives decisions and tactically execute consistent completion of the interactive process to determine accommodations and returns to work
• Provides support to teammates and managers in answering leave and accommodation questions and provides issue resolution. Proactively connect with teammates and managers to set expectations, assess teammate requests, and keep the teammate and manager fully aware of the status of the claim. 
• Monitor changes to federal and state leave laws and coordinate with the Manager, Leave Administration to implement necessary changes. 
• Coordinate with the Manager, Leave Management to create and update leave of absence materials and guides for teammates and managers across the Company 
• Support special projects and benefit-related initiatives as needed
• Works with the third-party administrator regarding escalated cases, compliance regarding the TPA’s Business Requirements Document, Accommodation Review, and compliance with Company Policies and Procedures
• Administers the company's leave programs (including ADA) which will include reviewing disability status reports and partnering with third-party administrators and the internal payroll team to ensure payments are timely, payroll records are accurate, and statuses are updated accordingly. Document information regarding leave cases and ensure consistent application of the department's leave of absence policies 
• Prepares reports to analyze trends and follow up regarding return-to-work scenarios and status changes in CONA. Participates in data integrity and compliance audits of benefits and leave of absence data . Provides necessary benefits and leave of absence reports as needed to leaders and departments enterprise-wide. 
• Track and monitor the weekly error reporting for corrections that may require support from internal IT partners or IT partners at the third-party administrators
   

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Knowledge of laws and regulations regarding leaves of absences including HIPAA, FMLA, USERRA, ADA, and Paid State Leave
• Proficiency with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Dedicated to providing a high level of service with a sense of urgency in responding to requests
• Ability to organize and maintain effective relationships at all levels, internally and externally, and effectively problem solve
• Exceptional organization, planning, persuasion skills, and teamwork
• Ability to interact respectfully with other teammates, professional staff, and/or external contacts to offer ideas, identify issues, obtain information, or deliver services
• Ability to address varying problems, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge, and skills based on general precedents
• Dependable self-starter with a confident and mature disposition, able to work with sensitive information and maintain confidentiality. Ability to gather and analyze data and generate reports
• Ability to multi-task, work on multiple projects simultaneously, maintain thoroughness, accuracy, and attention to detail while meeting deadlines
• Ability to communicate effectively with teammates at all levels of the organization and works well under pressure and in a collaborative environment
• Less than 10% travel required 
   

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED
• Two or more years of experience in leave of absence administration 
• Experience with administration of ADA accommodations including decision making
   

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelors or Associates degree in Human Resources or related field 
• Certification as a Certified Leave Management Specialist (CLMS) preferred
   

Work Environment

In Office Environment 4 days a week with 1 day remote flexibility

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