Leave of Absence Specialist - Atlanta, United States - Consolidated Container Company LLC

Description

Location Address:
2500 Windy Ridge Parkway, Atlanta, Georgia 30339


Work Shift:
Salary Exempt (United States of America)

Altium Packaging, Our Culture Differentiates Us

We incorporate our Guiding Principles into all aspects and at all levels of the organization and use them as a framework for decision-making.

We believe our Guiding Principles foster a culture of excellence that benefits both employees and customers.

Our Guiding Principles

• Act with Integrity & in Compliance
• Drive Value Creation
• Be Disciplined Entrepreneurs
• Focus on the Customer
• Act with Humility
• Treat others with Dignity and Respect
• Seeking Fulfillment in your Work

The Leaves of Absence Specialist is responsible for overseeing and administering leaves of absence and accommodation requests arising under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the company's short-term disability plan, paid parental leave and all other leave programs.

The Leave of Absence Specialist will serve as the subject matter expert for all federal and state leaves including but not limited to FMLA, STD, LTD, ADA and Military Leaves.

The Leave Specialist will support employees and HR Professionals in all aspects of the leave management process. The Leave Specialist will assist in training and resolving complex leave issues.

The Leave Specialist will maintain and update the company's leave of absence policies and procedures.

The Leave Specialist will serve as a back-up to assist in the administration of various benefits programs and projects, as needed, and reports to the Benefits Manager.

This is a hybrid role so the individual must live in the Atlanta area.


Essential Job Functions and Qualifications:

• Provide end-to-end case management and consultative support to employees and managers with absence management, while ensuring a strong culture of connection and empathy.
• Serves as the liaison between the employee, leave plan administrator, manager and HR Partner regarding their need for leave and/or modified work schedules. Ensures that employees are aware of their responsibility to open a disability or FMLA claim with the leave plan administrator.
• Collaborate with the HR Partners on the status of the employee's leave throughout the process.
• Provide education to HR team members and managers to ensure accuracy and compliance with all leave laws.
• Educate employees on all aspects of their leave of absence, including impact of leave of absence on pay and continuation of benefits via direct bill while on leave.
• Provide support and guidance to business partners, managers and team members regarding leave of absence related questions.
• Facilitate and drive meetings with employees and internal/external stakeholders for issue resolution and follow-up.
• Manage and escalate complex LOA/ADA cases appropriately for guidance by using sound judgment, including but not limited to issues related to system processing, leave pay discrepancies, employee feedback and vendor escalations.
• Solve problems through active listening, trouble shooting and critical thinking.
• Monitor state leave laws for changes and updates. Work cross-functionally with HR, Payroll and IT teams to implement system changes based on state law changes.
• Review the accuracy of short-term disability benefit payments in a timely manner and resolve discrepancies.
• Draft and recommend revisions to company leave policies to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Maintain complete, detailed and accurate records of leave requests and communications.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee medical information in accordance with HIPAA.
• Manage the return-to-work process by engaging with leaders to assess work restrictions and ensure the employee is accurately returned to active status in Workday.
• Ensure that internal processes are consistent and within scope of collectively bargained agreements. Collaborate with the Legal and Compliance manager when negotiating occupational and nonoccupational leave policies for the collective bargaining agreements.
• Review and evaluate requests for accommodations using the interactive process to ensure best practices are implemented in compliance with ADA.
• Maintain complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements and documentation of best practices.
• Work with HR Partner to terminate team members who are noncompliant or those in which an accommodation cannot be met after going through the ADA process.
• Provide legal team with any information about a leave of absence that is needed for Department of Labor claims, EEOC, or any other legal claims that may arise regarding a leave of absence case.
• Coordinate paid time off and paid leaves with accurate absence coding in Workday to ensure timely and accurate employee pay.
• Collaborate with payroll for any pay corrections requiring off-cycle/on-demand checks.
• Manage the direct billing process to ensure uninterrupted health and welfare benefit coverage for employees on an unpaid leave of absence. Coordinate and submit all PTO and leave pay requests for team members on leave of absence.
• Ensure leave plan administrator is managing leave of absence programs in compliance with federal, state and company leave policies and procedures; manage issues towards resolution.
• Point of contact for the leave of absence plan administrator in relation to leave of absence system testing, configuration and integrations.

Required Qualifications:
Experience: 5 or more years of experience working in Leave Administration is required.

• Bachelor's degree in related field of study or equivalent years of work experience
• Advanced knowledge of federal and state leave laws, specifically Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Elevated knowledge of leave of absence policies and procedures, including State, and company policies.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to identify root cause and effectively resolve problems.
• Experience with HR administration and general exposure / knowledge of various HR functions (e.g., policy, compensation, employee relations, benefits, performance management, etc.).
• Proficient computer skills (Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• Dependable and willingness to learn.
• Team player with a positive attitude.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information ethically and responsibly while escalating higher-tier issues to management or legal department when appropriate.
• Ability to embrace technology, as well as utilize and transact in HRIS systems, portals, knowledgebase and case management.
• Ability to document processes and provide process-improvement ideas.
• Strong organizational, attention to detail, and multi-tasking skills.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills with the ability to show compassion and empathy for others.
• Strong writing skills.

Preferred knowledge, skills or abilities:

• Intermediate skills in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Knowledge of Workday is beneficial but not required.
• Ability to manipulate data to expedite project analyses and completion.

#LI-KG1

We Believe in Rewarding our Most Important Resource - Our People

We show our commitment to Total Rewards by providing a competitive, comprehensive benefits package.

In addition to medical, dental and vision plans, company holidays and vacation days, tuition reimbursement, learning and training opportunities, bonus potential, and a 401(k) plan with company contributions, Altium Packaging locations offer rewards and recognition programs and opportunities to make a difference in the community.

EEO Statement

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Take your career to the next level at Altium Packaging