Leave Specialist Jobs

About The Position

Requirements

• Demonstrated knowledge and experience of employment laws, especially strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, PDL, CFRA, SDI, Worker’s compensation laws, OSHA, and other relevant federal, state, and local leave, disability discrimination, and accommodation laws
• Foundational knowledge of federal and state labor and employment enforcement agencies.
• Strong record keeping, organizational, and time management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal effectiveness at all levels in the organization and across cultures.
• Capable of using logic and reasoning to make immediate decisions under pressure or tight deadlines.
• Ability to make proper judgment calls when presented by a situation/problem.
• Strong sense of business ethics including the ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
• Able to effectively manage multiple projects and attend to daily HR matters while maintaining focus and follow through on issues until resolved and delivering results as committed.
• Ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve escalations by using judgment that is consistent with the standards, practices, policies, procedures, regulations and/or government law.
• Outstanding business acumen with the ability to understand and operate from the perspective of a high-level business leader.
• Ability to research and analyze various types of data.
• Ability to make recommendations to effectively resolve problems or issues by using judgment that is consistent with the standards, practices, policies, procedures and local, federal and state regulations.
• Ability to prioritize and efficiently execute a high volume and broad scope of tasks within tight deadlines, competing demands and changes in the work environment.
• Ability to deal with frequent interruptions, changes, delays or unexpected events.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to learn quickly.
• Ability to collaborate with others.
• Demonstrated ability to consult effectively with all levels of management with multiple conflicting priorities.
• Ability to establish credibility, be decisive and be able to recognize and support the organization's preferences and priorities.
• Good computer skills including word processing, data entry and spreadsheet management, and proficiency in HRIS and case management system.
• Basic understanding of federal and state laws regulating leaves of absences (FMLA, CFRA, Workers Compensation etc.)
• Understanding of basic accounting procedures is necessary to ensure accuracy in payroll and leave balance calculations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Authentic, effective, and professional communication style including the ability to communicate effectively in person and by email and phone.
• Ability to oversee the maintenance of records and reports consistent with defined requirements.
• Ability to interpret State and Federal Employment Laws that relate to sick leave, vacation leave, Family and Medical Leave laws.
• Demonstrated ability to be a self-starter, highly organized, detail-oriented, and accurate; proven success as someone with excellent follow through and the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong analytical skills and problem solving.
• Must be able to regularly exercise discretion, handle conflict and be firm when required.
• Must be able to diffuse confrontational situations.
• Must maintain the confidentiality of employee records and handles confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with third party service providers and all levels of employees.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within the department and with other departments

Nice To Haves

• Multi-state leave of absence administration experience, preferably with experience in states with complex leave administration laws.
• Experience with worker’s compensation claims management is a plus.
• Experience with maintaining and updating OSHA logs with recordable incidents according to federal regulations.
• Experience with Prism software a plus.
• SHRM-CP or PHR preferred.

Responsibilities

• Effectively coordinate all company leave programs, including comprehensive case management, ensuring compliance with all applicable Federal/State/Local laws and company policy.
• Administer leave programs (FMLA, ADA, Personal, Military, State, etc.) from the employees’ initial notice of the need for leave to the return to work, including gathering and completing all required paperwork, determining leave eligibility, designating leave as qualifying, requesting medical certification updates, accounting for intermittent and reduced scheduled leave use, and monitoring leave usage that exceeds medical documentation to determine if updated documentation is required.
• Communicate with employees regarding their needs for leave and/or modified work schedules; ensure that employees are aware of their responsibilities and of any documentation and notice required to qualify and take leave.
• Troubleshoot and investigate problems, gathering information to assist HR administrators in making decisions, such as potential fraudulent leave activity or moonlighting.
• Assist employees and managers through the leave of absence process by accurately explaining the leave policies and procedures.
• Respond in a timely manner to phone, email, and in-person inquiries from employees, HR representatives, and managers.
• Accurately determine leave eligibility and leave type, based on state and federal law, as well as company policy, and review associated medical certifications within state and federal time frames as well as company time frames.
• Provide timely and accurate required communication and materials to employees at the leave’s commencement and throughout the duration of the leave (notices, medical certifications, letters, forms, and required policies, etc.).
• Certify and track LOA usage to ensure that employees do not exceed the amount of allotted time.
• Create/update leave of absence records in the HRIS system and maintain confidential scanned image files with LOA-specific documents.
• Calculate benefit premiums due and monitor payment and/or benefit deductions as assigned; send late payment notices as assigned.
• Develop and manage return-to-work programs for employees returning from leave, coordinating with managers and employees to facilitate a smooth transition back to work, ensuring completion of fitness for duty certifications prior to return to work, and monitoring and tracking progress of return-to-work plans.
• Facilitate accommodation equipment orders and/or special arrangements with IT and facilities all while working within established process parameters.
• Collaborate with the Claims Department on leaves that interact with workers’ compensation claims and assist managers with accident reporting and filling out required forms for work comp injuries under the direction and guidance of the Claims Department. Assist with communicating with the employee and the Claims Department to gather information related to lost time for purposes of completing the paperwork required from the worker’s compensation insurance to compensate the employee for lost time, with completing and/or working with the employee and the Claims Department for reporting hours for the purposes of work comp payment, ensure proper communication and documentation between departments, and assist in the resolution of any issues related to worker’s compensation leave interactions.
• Evaluate any work comp claims for internal employees and any work-related accidents and injuries to determine whether they are OSHA recordable and/or reportable and ensure appropriate recordkeeping on the company’s OSHA logs.
• Maintain OSHA logs in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations and ensure the OSHA 300A logs are completed and posted as required at each office location.
• Maintain reasonable communication with employees on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work, relaying communication between employees and their managers during leave within reason.
• Advise managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off and employer benefits.
• Act as a liaison between the Employee and the Payroll, Benefits, and HR Department
• Assist with and participate in compliance projects and other department projects and initiatives, as assigned.
• May assist with HR-related mail in the office and assist with responses and/or distribution within the team.
• May assist with crossover duties or back up other Internal Human Resources Specialists on the team periodically.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off: PTO, Holidays, Parental leave and Sick Leave provided as required by applicable state law
• Other Benefits: Life insurance, short term disability, long term disability, employee assistance program (EAP), flexible spending account (FSA), health savings account (HSA), Identity theft protection, critical illness, accident, cancer, hospital protection, legal and pet insurance.