Leave of Absence Manager

The Leave of Absence Manager is responsible for administering the Company's leave of absence programs and ensuring compliant, compassionate, and consistent support for employees and managers. This role serves as the subject matter expert for leave administration, ADA accommodations, and workers' compensation, while also supporting employee continuity during emergencies and serving as the HR point of contact for safety-related matters. This role also serves as a cross-trained backup and active contributor to the Benefits team, supporting day-to-day administration of health, welfare, and retirement plans.

Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end administration of employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, state and local leave programs, paid family and medical leave, parental leave, military leave, personal leave, and other Company-sponsored leave programs; Partner with brokers and vendors to evaluate plan performance, ensure service excellence, and optimize cost-effectiveness; Serve as the primary point of contact for employees and managers throughout the leave process, providing clear, empathetic, and timely guidance on eligibility, required documentation, benefits continuation, pay coordination, and return-to-work expectations; Ensure timely and accurate completion of leave notices, certifications, designation communications, payroll coordination, and related documentation; Maintain accurate leave records in HRIS and leave-management systems; monitor leave balances, intermittent leave usage, and return-to-work dates; Partner with Payroll, Benefits, HR Business Partners, managers, and external leave vendors to ensure leave information is administered consistently and accurately; Stay current on applicable federal, state, and local leave laws and recommend process or policy updates as requirements change; Develop reporting and identify trends, risks, and opportunities to improve the employee leave experience and operational effectiveness; Manage the interactive process for workplace accommodation requests under the ADA and applicable state and local laws; Review medical documentation, assess accommodation options, engage employees and managers in the interactive process, and document decisions and next steps; Partner with HR Business Partners, Legal, and business leaders to implement reasonable accommodations and monitor ongoing effectiveness; Maintain confidential accommodation records and ensure consistent, compliant handling of requests; Coordinate the administration of workers' compensation claims, including employee communications, claim reporting, documentation, and coordination with insurance carriers, third-party administrators, medical providers, and internal stakeholders; Partner with managers and Safety team members to support timely incident reporting, return-to-work planning, and transitional-duty arrangements where appropriate; Monitor open claims, identify trends, and escalate potential risks or process concerns; Support emergency-response activities related to natural disasters or other events that may affect employees' ability to work; Coordinate with HR leadership, business continuity teams, Payroll, Benefits, and managers to identify affected employees and provide timely guidance on available leave, pay, benefits, and support resources; Help maintain employee-facing communications and procedures for HR-related emergency response; Oversee the secure collection, tracking, and maintenance of employee vaccination records, as required by Company policy; Serve as the initial HR point of contact for safety tickets requiring HR involvement, ensuring concerns are triaged, documented, and routed to the appropriate stakeholders; Partner with the Safety team to support employee communications, incident follow-up, and compliance-related initiatives; Maintain confidentiality and appropriate recordkeeping for safety and health-related information; Serves as a cross-trained backup and active contributor to the Benefits Manager as needed; Support and contribute towards special projects as needed

Requirements

Strong knowledge of ERISA, ACA, HIPAA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, and other applicable laws; Experience working with medical leave and disability vendors; familiarity with leave case management best practices; Demonstrated experience managing workers' compensation processes and coordinating return-to-work programs; Strong working knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws related to leave, accommodations, workers' compensation, and benefits continuation; Experience working with HRIS, leave-management platforms, and case-management or ticketing systems; Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism; Exceptional organization, follow-through, communication, and customer-service skills; Ability to independently manage a high volume of cases, balance competing priorities, and communicate complex requirements in clear, compassionate language; Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field; equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will be considered; 5+ years of progressive experience administering employee leaves of absence, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, and state and local leave programs

Nice to have

UKG experience is preferred; Experience participating in or supporting HR, leave-management, benefits, or related vendor implementations is preferred

Benefits

Paid Time Off (PTO) and Company Paid Holidays; 100% Employer paid medical, dental, and vision insurance plan options; Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Accounts; Bi-weekly HSA employer contribution; Company paid Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability; 401(k) Retirement Plan, with Company Match