Leave of Absence Consultant

T-Mobile•Overland Park, KS

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Leave of Absence Consultant reviews, assesses and communicates determinations on requests for leave of absence under state and federal regulations and company policies for T-Mobile US employees. (Including, but not limited to FMLA, Military, and Company leave of absence). The role facilitates the interactive process on requests for leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation under federal and/or state disability regulations, including but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA).

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree plus 2 years of related work experience OR combination of education and experience deemed equivalent (Required)
1+ year of experience facilitating the interactive accommodation process.
3 or more years of experience in administering, assessing and coordinating mandated leaves, return to work and disability accommodation related to employment.
Requires customer focus, change & innovation, critical thinking, relationship building, talent management, results focus and inspirational leadership.
Provide consultation that builds trust and is committed and focused on the improvement of the employee experience.
Knowledge and ability to interpret federal, state, and local leave regulations.
Experience in reporting, understanding of leave and/or disability analytical data
Experience working in a Disability Management Database
Conversant with HRIS/Timekeeping systems such as Workday, SAP, Kronos
Customer service skills to handle the sensitive and delicate personal situations that involve leave and disability. Builds commitment and overcomes resistance. Provides timely and thorough responses to inquiries and continuously finds way to improve and promote the service experience. (Required)
Demonstrated decision making skills.
Communicates both verbally and in writing in an articulate, thorough responsive manner. Demonstrated skill in written correspondence both through e-mail and formal letter writing. (Required)
Solid attention to detail and passion for high-quality work product. (Required)
At least 18 years of age
Legally authorized to work in the United States

Nice To Haves

2-4 years Experience within HR. (Preferred)
Professional in Human Resources (PHR) (Preferred)
Certified Disability Maanger (CPDM) (Preferred)

Responsibilities

Manages complex requests for accommodation due to employee medical condition; maintaining compliance with all federal, state and local disability regulations.
Maintains a working knowledge of job types/essential functions of all areas of the business.
Initiates and facilitates as appropriate the interactive process with employees, HR and supervisors.
Provides detailed written summaries of interactions with employees, supervisors, and/or other personnel as appropriate.
Acts as internal advising resource to HR and other organizational partners for accommodation questions.
Remains current on disability related regulations and standards through participation in appropriate professional organizations and ongoing education.
Focuses on employee advocacy while providing objective and strategic support to the business.
Provides expert and objective advice, coaching, and counsel to leaders and employees on leave and disability related programs, policy and procedures.
Oversight and audit of the accuracy of eligibility and entitlement for leave of absence and T-Mobile processes and procedures are completed within accepted timeframes completed by our vendor.
Communicates with our vendor, employees, managers and HR regarding leave of absence decisions.
Provides accurate information related to difficult situations with a professional and ethical demeanor (for example escalations, suspicion of fraudulent activity related to leave of absence, potential employment action, and provides information for EEOC or legal investigations).
Evaluates and applies federal and state legislation to T-Mobile practices and expertise to build trusted relationship with HR or field partners.
Advises and educates managers, employees and HR regarding disability rights and employer responsibilities related to requests for leave of absence as a reasonable accommodation under the ADAAA regulations.
Ensure accurate LOA case determination and leave usage calculations and confirms accurate LOA status in HR, Timekeeping and Payroll databases.
Provides effective service, consultation and resolution of employee relation inquiries related to all leave of absence types and short or long-term disability.
Regularly confer with T-Mobile's legal department and HR partners to ensure consistent application of leave of absences policies and processes and seeks legal guidance when appropriate to maintain compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Provide timely research and response to medium to high-level complex inquiries from T-Mobile Legal or other investigative team inquiries.
Interacts with various internal and external partners including disability vendors, healthcare providers, payroll, compensation/commissions, legal, workplace relations, workers’ compensation, loss prevention and others to ensure timely processing of leave of absence requests.
Advise management of trends and issues, as well as recommended course of action.