Benefits Analyst - Leaves and Disability

Western Governors University•Salt Lake, UT

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Benefits Analyst supports the delivery and administration of WGU employee benefit plans, programs, and policies, with a primary focus on leaves of absence and workplace accommodations. The role provides high-volume case management and administrative support, ensuring cases are handled accurately, promptly, confidentially, and in accordance with company policies and applicable federal, state, and local requirements. It reviews leave and accommodation requests and documentation, tracks eligibility, deadlines and case milestones, coordinates next steps with employees and internal stakeholders, and maintains complete case records. The analyst supports leave programs such as FMLA, company-provided and personal leaves, disability-related leaves, workers’ compensation-related absences, and state and local leave programs. It also supports ADA and other workplace accommodation processes, including intake, documentation review, interactive process support, tracking, reevaluations, and coordination. The role partners with managers and People & Talent colleagues, escalates sensitive or high-risk matters, and coordinates with third-party leave, disability, and benefits vendors. In addition to case administration, the role provides employee benefits customer service through multiple channels, performs case audits and data reviews, supports reporting and analysis, and helps improve processes, policies, workflows, systems, compliance, and the employee experience. It contributes to employee and manager education and communications, maintains process documentation, and mentors and trains less experienced team members. The position works collaboratively across People & Talent and with internal and external contacts in a fast-paced environment. This is a full-time, regular position with 40 standard weekly hours. Occasional travel of up to 20% is required, including designated company summits, conferences, and visits to company locations. The salary range is $68,300 to $102,500, and the position is eligible for bonuses and the benefits listed in the posting.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions; the posting defines equivalent experience generally as one year of experience for one year of education, at the hiring manager’s discretion.
High school diploma.
Two to three years of experience specifically working with leaves of absence and accommodations.
Ability to manage a high volume of leave-of-absence and accommodation cases simultaneously.
Strong interpersonal skills when working proactively with employees, leaders, team members, administrators, and advisers.
Ability to work collaboratively and demonstrate influence and leadership.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to read, write, and interpret technical material and communicate technical matters effectively.
Strong understanding of laws and regulations relevant to HR, especially employee benefits, leaves, and accommodations.
Ability to maintain current knowledge of university employee benefit programs and available resources.
Comfort using MS Office products, data in various formats, and information systems to process requests, answer questions, prepare reports, and identify problems.
Solid technical understanding of HRIS and employee benefits processes, including their cross-functional impacts with other enterprise systems.
Data-driven orientation and ability to diagnose root causes, identify outcome drivers, and recommend improvements.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to make data-supported decisions.
Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize multiple simultaneous time-sensitive activities in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.
Strong work ethic, collaborative orientation, eagerness to take on assignments, and interest in supporting team success and individual growth.
Ability to contribute to a sense of belonging in the organization.
Occasional travel of up to 20%, including attendance at designated company summits and other business-related travel as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience presenting to groups.
Experience in the human resources function of a large organization.
HR shared service center experience.
Experience with HRIS or payroll systems.
Workday experience.
Progress toward or completion of Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), or another HR-related certification.
Knowledge and prior experience with operational and strategic aspects of employee benefit plans, including insurance renewals, retirement plans, vendor management, government filings, communications, and benchmarking.
Knowledge of the design and management of standard employee benefit programs, including project management, enrollment, vendor management, auditing, filings, training, education, and communications.

Responsibilities

Manage a high volume of leave-of-absence and workplace accommodation cases accurately, promptly, confidentially, and in accordance with applicable policies and laws.
Review leave and accommodation requests and supporting documentation; track case status, eligibility, deadlines, required documents, employee communications, and case milestones.
Coordinate next steps with employees, managers, People & Talent partners, Benefits, Payroll, vendors, and other stakeholders.
Manage multiple complex and time-sensitive cases, prioritizing according to business needs, employee circumstances, regulatory requirements, and service-level expectations.
Maintain complete case records and follow up on certifications, approvals, denials, extensions, returns to work, and other outstanding actions.
Support administration of FMLA, company-provided leaves, personal leaves, disability-related leaves, workers’ compensation-related absences, and applicable state and local leave programs.
Support workplace accommodation administration under the ADA and applicable state and local requirements, including intake, documentation review, interactive process support, tracking, and reevaluations.
Partner with managers and People & Talent business partners on leave and accommodation processes, employee communications, attendance considerations, return-to-work requirements, and policies.
Escalate complex, sensitive, or potentially high-risk matters to appropriate leadership, Employee Relations, Legal, or other subject matter experts.
Respond to employee benefits, leave, and accommodation questions through the help desk and other channels, including phone, email, instant messaging, in-person contact, and support queues.
Coordinate with third-party leave, disability, and benefits vendors to administer cases, resolve escalated issues, research discrepancies, and ensure timely communication and follow-up.
Monitor vendor performance and case activity and escalate service concerns, processing errors, or employee-impacting issues.
Mentor and train less experienced team members, conduct peer reviews as needed, and share knowledge to support team consistency and quality.
Develop and maintain documentation for employee benefits, leave, and accommodation processes and procedures.
Assist with root cause analysis and identify process, policy, workflow, or system improvements.
Identify opportunities to improve the employee experience, reduce case backlogs, increase efficiency, strengthen compliance, and improve accuracy and consistency.
Conduct regular case audits, data reviews, and quality assurance activities to identify trends and verify compliance with processes and service expectations.
Assist with reporting and analysis on leaves, accommodations, benefits, case volumes, trends, and operational performance.
Support benefits, leave, and accommodation education, training, and communications, including digital and print materials, presentations, manager education, and employee communications.
Perform other job-related duties as assigned.