HR Generalist - Leave & Accommodations

MERITUM ENERGY GP LLC•San Antonio, TX

36d•Onsite

About The Position

The HR Generalist - Leave & Accommodations administers employee leaves of absence, FMLA, ADA workplace accommodations, return-to-work processes, benefits, and related employee relations matters. Supporting Meritum Energy’s multi-state operations, this role is a primary HR contact for employees and managers throughout leave, accommodation, and benefits processes, ensuring requests are handled consistently, promptly, compassionately, and in accordance with applicable laws and Company policies. The position requires strong judgment, attention to detail, confidentiality, and the ability to manage multiple cases simultaneously. It works closely with employees, managers, Safety, Payroll, HR leadership, and the benefits broker. The HR Generalist independently manages routine leave and accommodation cases and partners with the Director of HR on complex or higher-risk matters. The position manages leave and FMLA administration from initial notification through return to work; coordinates ADA accommodation requests and interactive processes; reviews return-to-work documentation and restrictions; supports employee relations and attendance matters; administers benefits and open enrollment; coordinates with Safety on workers’ compensation matters; and maintains compliance, confidential records, and reports. It also educates and advises employees and managers on leave, accommodations, benefits, attendance, confidentiality, and documentation. The role is based at Meritum San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas, and primarily operates in a professional office environment, with prolonged periods of sitting and working at a computer. The employee must communicate effectively by telephone, video conference, email, and in person. Pre-employment screening and a background check are required.

Requirements

High school education is listed in the job details; the qualifications also specify a bachelor’s degree in HR, Business Administration, Management, or a related field, although equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
At least 3 years of progressively responsible HR experience.
Hands-on experience administering employee leaves of absence and FMLA.
Working knowledge of ADA reasonable accommodations and the interactive process.
Experience administering employee benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and 401(k), and answering employee benefits questions.
Knowledge of federal and state employment laws and HR best practices.
Experience handling confidential employee and medical information.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to independently manage multiple cases, deadlines, and priorities.
Strong judgment and ability to recognize when an issue should be escalated.
Proficiency with HRIS systems and Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel.
Must pass pre-employment screening and a background check.

Nice To Haves

SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR certification.
Experience supporting a multi-state workforce.
Experience in transportation, energy, propane, oil and gas, construction, field services, or another safety-sensitive industry.
Experience supporting hourly, field-based, CDL, and safety-sensitive employees.
Experience with Paycom or a comparable HRIS/payroll platform.
Experience coordinating FMLA, ADA, workers’ compensation, and return-to-work matters simultaneously.
Experience partnering with a benefits broker or third-party administrator on plan administration, renewals, and open enrollment.

Responsibilities

Manage employee leave processes from initial notification through return to work, including FMLA, medical, personal, parental, military, and other Company-approved leaves.
Determine eligibility for FMLA and other leave programs and provide required notices, forms, certifications, and communications within applicable deadlines.
Track continuous and intermittent leave usage, balances, deadlines, certifications, and employee status changes in the HRIS; maintain accurate case documentation and monitor reports.
Review medical certifications and coordinate clarification or recertification requests when appropriate.
Monitor employees approaching the exhaustion of protected leave and evaluate whether additional obligations, including the ADA accommodation process, may apply.
Communicate with employees about certification deadlines, leave status, return dates, extensions, and outstanding documentation.
Coordinate with Payroll and Benefits on PTO, unpaid leave, benefit continuation, premium obligations, and employee transitions into and out of leave.
Serve as the primary HR contact for ADA and other workplace accommodation requests; recognize potential requests and initiate and manage the interactive process.
Provide appropriate accommodation documentation, obtain medical information when legally permissible and necessary, and evaluate requests with HR leadership and management in light of essential job functions.
Document accommodation processes, decisions, approved accommodations, restrictions, duration, and follow-up; review temporary and ongoing accommodations periodically.
Escalate complex accommodation matters, potential undue-hardship issues, and significant employment decisions to HR leadership and legal counsel when appropriate.
Coordinate return-to-work processes, review fitness-for-duty documentation and restrictions, and work with managers and Safety to assess safe performance of essential job functions with or without accommodation.
Coordinate approved temporary restrictions or modified-duty arrangements, track restriction expiration dates, and obtain updated documentation when needed.
Communicate return-to-work status and approved restrictions to management while limiting disclosure of confidential medical information.
Advise managers on employee relations, attendance, performance concerns, policy violations, and corrective action; assist in preparing corrective-action documentation.
Review corrective actions for factual support, consistency, completeness, and potential employment-law concerns; identify potential protected leave, disability, accommodation, workers’ compensation, or other protected activity before discipline is finalized.
Help managers distinguish protected leave, approved Company leave, PTO, and unexcused absences, and escalate high-risk matters to HR leadership.
Answer employee questions about Company-sponsored health, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k), and other benefit plans; partner with the benefits broker on administration, carrier issues, billing, eligibility, and escalated questions.
Coordinate annual open enrollment, including employee communications, meetings and materials, platform setup and testing, and deadlines.
Assist with benefit enrollment, qualifying life-event changes, COBRA notifications, annual renewals, census data, plan documents, and employee communications.
Reconcile benefit invoices, carrier eligibility files, and payroll deductions; resolve discrepancies and maintain accurate HRIS benefits records.
Partner with Safety on employee injuries and overlapping workers’ compensation, FMLA, ADA, leave, restriction, and return-to-work requirements; assist with transitional or modified duty when applicable.
Maintain confidential medical and leave records separately from general personnel records and ensure compliance with applicable laws and Company policies, including FMLA, ADA, USERRA, and pregnancy-related accommodation requirements.
Monitor relevant employment-law changes, assist with internal documentation audits, and prepare leave and accommodation reports as requested by HR leadership.
Educate and advise employees and managers on leave, accommodations, return-to-work requirements, attendance, confidentiality, benefits, and documentation expectations; follow up consistently until matters are resolved.