Leave & Employee Relations Senior Consultant

CNA Insurance • Chicago, IL

9d • $72,000 - $141,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Leave & Employee Relations Senior Consultant operates within the Employee Relations function and serves as a subject matter expert in leave administration. This role provides advanced consultation and oversight for complex and high-risk leave and accommodation cases, while working cross-functionally with the Leave Administration team and partnering with HR Business Partners, and business leaders. In addition to core leave responsibilities, this role may support broader employee relations related matters and contribute to cross-functional initiatives, based on business needs and priorities.

Requirements

• Advanced knowledge of leave administration programs (STD, FMLA, PFL, LOA, LTD).
• Deep understanding of federal and state leave laws and ADA requirements.
• Working knowledge of employee relations principles, with the ability to contribute to the assessment and resolution of sensitive employment matters.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust with leadership, HR partners, and employees at all levels.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and make sound decisions quickly and reliably, including in ambiguous, complex, and high-sensitivity situations.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage and resolve complex, sensitive situations while providing balanced, practical solutions.
• Strong time management and organizational skills with keen attention to detail.
• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of experience in leave administration or employee relations.
• Experience handling complex leave and accommodation cases required.
• Experience working within or closely partnering with Employee Relations or similar employee support functions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an escalation point for the strategic resolution of complex, sensitive, or lengthy leave and accommodation matters where legal and/or compliance risk exists.
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of federal, state, and local regulations (FMLA, ADA, USERRA, PDA) and company policies.
• Apply deep knowledge of the leaves and accommodations landscape to develop defensible, compliant case strategies.
• Act as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders on complex leave and accommodation issues.
• Provide consultative guidance that supports business continuity while ensuring compliant and equitable outcomes.
• Influence decision-making by translating regulatory requirements into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and guidance to Leave Specialists to support development and consistency.
• Identify trends, risks, and process gaps in order to recommend and lead the execution of improvements to the leave and accommodation process in collaboration with the HR Shared Services team.
• Develop SLAs, support files reviews, and conduct audits to leaves and accommodations matters to ensure compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, in collaboration with HR Shared Services, the implementation, upgrades, and maintenance of the leave management platform and other systems of record.
• Liaison strategically between the company and leave related third party vendors.
• Foster partnership, resolve disputes, develop KPIs, and conduct regular audits to ensure suppliers deliver on SLA.
• Serve as a flexible resource for the Employee Relations team to support team capacity on select ER matters based on business needs and priorities.
• May perform additional duties as assigned

Benefits

• Comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior