Leave of Absence Specialist

Leave Of Absence (LOA) Specialist

The Leave Of Absence (LOA) Specialist manages employee-owner leaves of absence and accommodation requests from intake through return to work with compassion, care, and respect for each person's unique circumstances. This role serves as a trusted resource and liaison among employee-owners, leaders, HR Business Partners, Benefits, Payroll, Safety, and leave vendors to ensure accurate leave administration, pay coordination, benefit continuity, documentation, and compliance.

Balancing technical expertise with a people-first approach, the LOA Specialist helps employee-owners feel informed, supported, and treated with care while promoting Van Meter's 5 P's and purpose to create lasting value for those we serve.

Key Responsibilities &

Essential Functions:

• Support Van Meter's People P culture by showing care for employee-owners, and contributing to a positive, respectful, and service-oriented employee-owner experience during leave of absences.
• Manages and administers multi-state leave of absence programs, including FMLA, short- and long-term disability, parental, military, personal, and workers' compensation leaves, along with leave-related benefits and applicable leave laws.
• Ensures all leave programs comply with federal regulations (FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, USERRA) and evolving state/local paid family and medical leave laws.
• Serves as the primary contact for employee-owners, providing compassionate guidance and ensuring they understand leave of absence benefits, eligibility, leave options, and return-to-work expectations; facilitates the ADA interactive process for workplace accommodations by coordinating with employee-owners, leaders, medical providers, and legal counsel when necessary.
• Partners closely with Payroll, HR Business Partners, Benefits Specialist, and external workers' compensation administrators to ensure accurate time tracking, leave pay coordination, benefit continuity, leave status updates, employee-owner support, return-to-work processes, and state leave administration.
• Maintains confidential and accurate leave records, documentation, and status updates in applicable HRIS, payroll, benefits, vendor, and leave administration systems to support timely reporting, compliance, and employee-owner service.

Critical Success Factors:

• Ability to provide expertise in leave of absence programs, leave-related benefits, applicable leave laws, workplace accommodations, and workers' compensation while handling each leave with a people-first approach aligned with Van Meter's culture.
• Ability to use discernment and sound judgment to evaluate and guide employee-owners, leaders, internal partners, and vendors through complex or sensitive leave, accommodation, and return-to-work situations with clarity, empathy, and sound judgment.
• Detail oriented and able to analyze leave information, documentation, system data, and case details to solve problems and make sound decisions in time-sensitive situations.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to handle confidential leave, medical, accommodation, workers' compensation, and employee-owner information with discretion and professionalism.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain leave options, required documentation, pay integration, benefit continuity, and return-to-work expectations clearly.
• Exhibits effective listening, organization, follow-up, and case management skills to support timely, accurate leave administration.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple leave, accommodation, workers' compensation, and return-to-work cases with competing deadlines and confidential details.

Job Requirements/Specifications:

• Bachelor's degree in human resources, business administration, or a related field required; equivalent leave administration experience may be considered.
• Minimum of two years of leave of absence, accommodation, and workers' compensation experience required. Multi-state leave, accommodation, and workers' compensation administration experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of federal, state, and local leave laws and related employment regulations required, including FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, USERRA, and applicable paid family and medical leave requirements.
• Demonstrated case management, follow-up, prioritization, and process improvement ability required.
• Strong computer skills required, including Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, HRIS, payroll, benefits, vendor, and leave administration systems.
• Experience supporting ADA accommodation requests and the interactive process preferred.
• Experience managing confidential employee, medical, leave, accommodation, or workers' compensation documentation required.
• Experience working with third-party leave, disability, benefits, payroll, or workers' compensation administrators preferred.

Work Environment & Physical Demands:

• Consistent sitting, reaching, working with hands and fingers, talking, hearing, field of vision, working indoors with others and customer contact.
• Frequent…