People Specialist - Leave Specialist

Job Summary

The Specialist, Leave Experience will work to foster a cohesive, caring experience for team members experiencing a need for leave of absence. This role acts as a primary point of contact between the company and the leave/accommodation and workers compensation programs to support timely, compliant, and effective workplace accommodations. The person in this role will be the Subject Matter Expert (SME) and be on point especially to manage the ADA accommodations and workers compensation processes and case management. Working closely with other Leave Specialists and the third-party administrator for leave administration, this role will be part of the team dedicated to managing and administering all aspects of employee leave programs such as FMLA, parental, medical, and personal leaves and workers compensation while providing a high level of support and empathy to employees navigating life events. Metrics and reporting on the Leave Experience by the Specialist will be pivotal to workforce planning and other strategic people activities. The Specialist will collaborate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders to promote company values, team culture, and mission.

Job Responsibilities

• Act as a primary point of contact between the company and the leave/accommodation and workers compensation programs to support timely, compliant, and effective workplace accommodations.
• Act as the primary internal point of contact for employees and managers regarding workers compensation, leave, and accommodation processes and timelines.
• Partner with People Advisors and leaders to lead interactive process conversations and implementation of accommodation as needed.
• Provide Employee Relations perspective on complex leave/accommodation-related issues that intersect with performance, conduct, or attendance.
• Work directly with the accommodations management vendor to review and adjudicate accommodations requests, including being the lead to engage employees in the interactive process to complete accommodation requests.
• Conduct vendor management of third-party leave and accommodations administrators ensuring quality service through regular reviews, issue escalation, and process improvement.
• Generate reports and maintain accurate leave records for payroll, benefits continuation, and compliance purposes.
• Create and maintain communications on leave for various internal channels and audiences, including employee knowledge base.
• Work closely with workers compensation carrier to oversee handling and resolution for workers compensation claims.
• Work collaboratively with Leave staff, and serve as the backup program manager and SME for leave programs such as FMLA, parental leave, other types of paid/unpaid time off, and workers compensation.
• Maintain highly accurate tracking of leaves and manage leave requests and documentation in HRIS or leave management system.
• Provide guidance with empathy, ensuring employees understand their options and feel supported throughout their leave.
• Collaborate with other People Team members and departments on end-to-end process and experience design.
• Recommend and refine the leave process, experience, and communications to positively impact the employee experience and employees feeling cared for before, during, and upon return from leave.
• Coordinate reentry processes to ease transitions back to work and ensure a positive reintegration experience.
• Create and deliver education on leave for supervisors, People Advisors, and team members.
• Prepare reports and analytics on leave metrics to support workforce planning, inform strategy, and benchmark.
• Keep in touch with external trends and benchmarking, helping to define what good looks like and initiating proactive strategies.
• Maintain complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements and documentation best practices.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local leave regulations, including FMLA, ADA, and other applicable laws.
• Monitor trends in leave utilization and recommend policy/process enhancements to better support employee needs.

Required Skills & Experience

• Three-plus (3) years of experience in US disability/leave administration or HR Compliance.
• Deep understanding and application of federal and state disability and paid family leave laws (i.e., ADA, FMLA, PFWA, CFRA, HIPAA, etc.) in a multi-state environment.
• Familiarity with California statutory leave and disability programs.
• Experience administering workers compensation plan and managing claims preferred.
• Independent worker who must be able to regularly exercise discretion, handle conflict, and be firm when required.
• Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills, including the ability to analyze complex questions and determine the best course of actions or recommendation.
• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities on a timely basis in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with employees at all levels.
• Ability to take initiative and make decisions under pressure.

Schedule Notes

• Location: Remote
• Duration: 1 temp for July Sept, 1 temp for July - Oct
• Hours: 40 hours per week, Mon - Fri