Benefits Specialist, Absence & Accommodations

The Team Morningstar's purpose is to empower investor success. We believe people perform at their best when they have access to meaningful benefits, supportive programs, and a workplace where they can thrive.

As part of Morningstar's Global Benefits team, you'll help deliver employee- focused programs that support health, well-being, time away from work, and workplace inclusion. Our team partners closely with employees, managers, HR, Payroll, Legal, and external vendors to ensure our programs are administered thoughtfully, consistently, and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The Role Morningstar is seeking a Benefits Specialist, Absence & Accommodations to support leave of absence, disability, and workplace accommodation programs across the United States and Canada.

This role serves as a key point of contact for employees navigating leaves and accommodation requests, helping ensure a positive employee experience while supporting compliance, operational excellence, and vendor performance. The position will work closely with Morningstar's leave administrator, accommodation partners, HR Business Partners, Payroll, Legal, and People teams.

The ideal candidate combines strong case management skills with empathy, attention to detail, sound judgment, and a passion for improving employee experiences.

Key Responsibilities Leave of Absence Administration Support administration of U.S. and Canada leave programs, including parental, medical, personal, military, disability, and statutory leave programs.

Monitor leave cases and facilitate communication between employees, managers, HR, Payroll, and third-party administrators.

Assist employees in understanding eligibility, benefit continuation, pay implications, and return-to-work processes.

Review leave administration outcomes for accuracy and escalate complex issues when appropriate.

Support implementation and ongoing administration of Morningstar's leave administration vendors and related processes.

Accommodations Management Coordinate accommodation requests and support the interactive process in partnership with employees, managers, HR Business Partners, Legal, and external providers.

Track accommodation cases, required documentation, timelines, and follow-up activities.

Help ensure accommodation requests are handled consistently, confidentially, and in compliance with applicable laws and company policies.

Partner with stakeholders to facilitate accommodation implementation and ongoing case monitoring.

Compliance & Governance Assist with administration of programs subject to FMLA, ADA, PWFA, state leave laws, provincial requirements, disability regulations, and related employment laws.

Maintain accurate records and documentation supporting leave and accommodation decisions.

Support regulatory reporting, audits, policy updates, and compliance reviews.

Monitor legislative developments and assist in implementing required process or policy changes.

Vendor & Operational Management Serve as a liaison between Morningstar and third-party leave and accommodation vendors.

Track service issues, escalations, processing errors, employee complaints, and operational trends.

Support vendor meetings, reporting reviews, and issue resolution efforts.

Identify opportunities to improve employee experience, reduce manual work, and strengthen operational controls.

Employee & Stakeholder Support Respond to employee, manager, HR, and Payroll inquiries regarding leave and accommodation programs.

Develop employee-facing communications, guides, FAQs, and process documentation.

Provide thoughtful, customer-focused support during sensitive employee situations.

Partner effectively across People & Culture, Legal, Payroll, Benefits, and external vendors.

Qualifications

Required3+ years of experience in leave of absence, disability, accommodations, benefits administration, HR operations, or a related field.

Knowledge of FMLA, ADA, disability administration, and U.S. leave regulations.

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple cases and competing priorities.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Strong attention to detail and commitment to confidentiality.

Proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications.

Preferred Bachelors Degree Experience administering leave and accommodation programs in both the United States and Canada.

Experience working with third-party leave administrators and disability carriers.

Experience supporting ADA accommodations and interactive process documentation.

Experience with HRIS platforms such as Workday.

CEBS, SHRM, PHR, or related professional certification.

What Success Looks Like In this role, you will:

Deliver a high-quality employee experience during some of the most important and sensitive moments in an employee's career.

Ensure leave and accommodation cases are handled accurately, consistently, and compliantly.

Build strong partnerships across HR, Payroll, Legal, managers, and external vendors.

Identify opportunities to help us scale,…