LOA Specialist

Leave Of Absence Specialist

The LOA Specialist liaises between leave of absence third party administrator and Associates. This role ensures all leave of absence processes are adhered to by Associates to enable timely return to work.

Essential duties include maintaining communication with Associates on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work; creating and maintaining proactive communication resources for Associates in relation to leave of absence process; advising managers and Associates on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off and short/long term disability benefits; responding to telephone inquiries, emails, or face-to-face interactions with associates regarding leaves;

researching and resolving escalated leaves of absence matters; overseeing the return-to-work process for Associates returning from extended FMLA or other leave(s); managing the fitness for duty process for Associates with applicable vendor; developing and maintaining leaves metrics, analyzing data for trends, and providing recommendations for improvement; monitoring new and evolving leaves legislation and making compliance recommendations; acting as a liaison with third-party administrators, vendors, and internal employees;

managing relationship, initiating evaluations and review final determinations with company Aviation Medical Examiner (AME) as required by the FAA; assisting in the ongoing development and improvement of leaves policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws, labor agreements, and state and federal laws; drafting and/or recommending revisions to company leave policies in collaboration with Legal and Employee Relations; coordinating with internal departments on leaves issues;

providing associate leave history, absence trends, etc. to supervisors, managers, and employee relations as required; and providing back up support for Workers Compensation as needed.

Required knowledge, skills, and abilities include a Bachelor's degree in a related field and 2 years of related health and welfare administration experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience; knowledge of applicable leave and accommodation laws including the FMLA, ADA, and state and local laws; strong proficiency with Microsoft Office products; excellent oral and written communications skills; and ability to maintain confidentiality in accordance with HIPPA rules and regulations.

Preferred education and/or experience includes experience administering benefit plans in a 1,000+ associate-based company.

Language skills include the ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or associates of the organization.

Reasoning/problem-solving ability includes the ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.

Decision making includes making day-to-day decisions used to support strategic direction. Decisions often require some thought and are somewhat structured. Decisions tend to be short-term and usually moderate cost.

Physical demands include being able to remain in a stationary position for extended periods; able to move about the work environment; able to use standard office equipment; able to answer daily phone calls, emails, and Teams messages; and able to verbally communicate and collaborate with colleagues.

Work environment includes typically not being exposed to extreme environmental conditions.

Travel requirements include travel up to 10% of the time, including overnight travel.

Equal Opportunity Employer, Disability, and Veteran Accommodations. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.