Leave of Absence Manager

Pennant Services•Salt Lake City, UT

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Pennant is seeking a Leave of Absence Manager to lead our Leave of Absence Team and drive exceptional employee experiences for service center and operational employees across Pennant's multi-state footprint. This position will lead our Leave of Absence team in developing and delivering consistent, compliant, and employee-centered leave and accommodation programs that support our growing organization while enhancing the experience of employees and leaders. This position will partner and align with the HR resource team to create a world-class employee experience. The qualified individual reports to Pennant's Director of Total Rewards and will have resource responsibility in support of home health, hospice, home care, and senior living operations across the organization. The Leave of Absence Manager serves as Pennant's subject matter expert for leave administration and workplace accommodations, providing leadership to a team of leave professionals while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws. This role partners closely with Human Resources, Legal, Benefits, Payroll, and operational leaders to manage complex cases, improve processes, and support a scalable leave administration function. The position will be in-office at least 3 days a week with some travel expected.

Requirements

5+ years’ experience managing complex leaves in a multi-state environment, disability, and workplace accommodations, including administration of the ADA interactive process.
2+ years’ experience in leading a team of leave administrators
Strong knowledge of: FMLA, ADA, PWFA, USERRA
State and local leave laws
Experience partnering with third-party leave administrators and vendors.
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Extensive knowledge of state and federal employment compliance rules and regulations.
Detail focused and ability to set appropriate priorities amongst multiple demands.
Excellent listening skills and demonstrates professional empathy.
Ability to provide direct, transparent feedback and develop relations of accountability within a shared resource role.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare industry experience.
Shared services or centralized HR operations experience.
Experience with Workday HCM, including business processes, reporting, employee transactions, and leave management workflows
Experience with The Hartford’s leave administration platform

Responsibilities

Lead, coach, and develop a team responsible for leave of absence administration and accommodation management.
Oversee the administration of all leave programs, including FMLA, ADA, PWFA, USERRA, state and local leave programs, company leaves, and disability-related absences.
Serve as the escalation point for complex leave and accommodation cases.
Partner with operational leaders, HR resources, Benefits, Payroll, Legal, Workers Compensation, HRIS, and third-party administrators to ensure consistent and compliant case management.
Develop and maintain leave administration policies, procedures, training materials, and employee communications.
Oversight of premium collection for direct bill and COBRA
Monitor regulatory changes and ensure organizational compliance with federal, state, and local leave and accommodation requirements.
Analyze leave trends, case volumes, and operational metrics to identify opportunities for process improvement and enhanced employee experience.
Manage relationships with third-party leave administrators and other vendors supporting leave and accommodation programs.
Passionately embrace and practice our core values and guide and train the organization in the management of employee relations within those core values.
Serve as a strategic partner who understands the unique needs of Pennant's home health, hospice, home care, and senior living operations.