Leave of Absence Specialist

Job Description

Leave Case Management

• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for teammates, practice leadership, and HR partners regarding leave of absence processes, case status, and next steps.
• Guide teammates and leaders through the process for initiating leave requests with Alliance’s third party leave administrator.
• Own internal leave case coordination from initiation through return to work or case closure, ensuring required actions and follow-up are completed timely.
• Coordinate with the third party leave administrator regarding leave status, outstanding documentation, extensions, anticipated return to work dates, and other case related activity.
• Monitor active and pending leave cases and maintain accurate internal tracking of leave dates, case status, anticipated return to work dates, and outstanding actions.
• Proactively follow up with teammates, practice leadership, HR partners, and the third-party leave administrator when information or action is outstanding.
• Communicate relevant leave status updates and next steps to internal stakeholders while maintaining appropriate confidentiality of employee medical information.
• Coordinate return to work activities, including tracking required documentation, confirming return dates, and communicating identified work restrictions to appropriate stakeholders.
• Identify and escalate complex, sensitive, high-risk, or unusual situations to Benefits or HR leadership as appropriate.

Workplace Accommodation Support

• Support the workplace accommodation interactive process by coordinating documentation, tracking requests, facilitating communication, and ensuring timely follow-up.
• Serve as a point of contact for teammates regarding the accommodation process, required documentation, and next steps.
• Escalate accommodation requests requiring assessment, determination, or additional review to the appropriate HR Partner.

Compliance and Multi-State Leave Support

• Maintain working knowledge of federal, state, and local leave and accommodation requirements, including FMLA, ADA, PWFA, applicable state and local leave programs, and Alliance leave policies.
• Stay informed of changes to leave and accommodation requirements and assist with updates to internal procedures, resources, communications, and tracking processes as needed.
• Support consistent administration of leave processes across Alliance practices while recognizing jurisdiction-specific requirements.
• Partner with Benefits and HR leadership to identify situations requiring additional compliance review or guidance.

Payroll Coordination

• Coordinate with Payroll regarding benefit deductions, premium arrears, employee status changes, and other pay or benefit matters arising during a leave of absence.
• Identify and assist with resolving discrepancies among third-party administrator records, HRIS information, payroll records, benefits information, and employee status.
• Ensure appropriate internal stakeholders receive timely information regarding leave changes that may impact employee pay, benefits, or employment status.
• Review third-party administrator case activity for completeness and alignment with internal records and follow up on discrepancies or outstanding items.
• Escalate vendor service concerns, delayed activity, or recurring case issues to Benefits leadership as appropriate.

Practice and HR Partnership

• Build strong working relationships with practice leadership, HR Partners, Payroll, or other internal partners.
• Provide responsive and knowledgeable support to practices regarding leave related questions, documentation requirements, case status, and next steps.
• Provide appropriate updates regarding employee leave status, anticipated return dates, restrictions, and outstanding actions while protecting confidential information.
• Communicate complex leave processes in a clear, practical, and teammate-focused manner.
• Provide consistent, empathetic support to teammates navigating leave and accommodation situations.

Tracking, Reporting, and Process Support

• Maintain accurate leave records within internal tracking tools, HRIS, and applicable vendor systems.
• Routinely review open cases to identify outstanding actions, upcoming return dates, leave exhaustion, documentation follow-up, or other items requiring attention.
• Support leave-related reporting, audits, and data reconciliation to promote accurate and consistent records.
• Recommend and support improvements to internal leave processes, resources, communications, and workflows.
• Assist with leave and accommodation projects and initiatives as assigned

Qualifications

• 2+ years of direct experience supporting leave of absence, disability, and/or workplace accommodation processes.
• Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, PWFA, state and local leave programs, and employee leave administration.
• Experience supporting or coordinating leave programs within a multi-state organization.
• Experience working with a third-party leave administrator, disability carrier, or similar vendor preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple cases, deadlines, and follow-up activities simultaneously in a detail-oriented environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain processes clearly and professionally.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships across multiple levels and functions of an organization.
• Ability to handle confidential and sensitive employee and medical information appropriately.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to recognize when an issue requires escalation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with ADP Workforce Now or a comparable HRIS platform.

Additional Information

WE ARE A DRUG-FREE, SMOKE-FREE, EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

Company Policy & Federal & State Laws Forbid Discrimination Because of Age, Color, Race, Religion, Sex, Disability, Sexual Orientation or National Origin

For additional details including our full equal opportunity statement, texting/outreach communication authorization, physical requirements of the job and more, please visit https://allianceanimal.com/additionaljobdescriptiondetails/