Leave & Benefits Specialist

Leave and Benefits Specialist

Denver, CO

YES Communities, founded in 2008, owns and operates manufactured housing communities with locations across the United States. YES takes a new approach to manufactured home communities and works to build and maintain an environment in each community that reflects their positive YES attitude.

YES Communities strives to hire a diverse workforce that shares our vision. We empower our employees to develop a strong sense of community because we know that happy, dedicated employees make the difference. Our culture is one where leaders set clear expectations and give you the freedom to manage your goals. We invest in our employees and take pride as we watch them achieve results and make a difference in their roles every day.

The Leave & Benefits Specialist plays a critical role in supporting employees throughout their leave and benefits experience. This position is primarily responsible for administering leave of absence programs, including compliance with applicable laws and company policies, while also partnering with the Benefits team on benefits administration, employee communications, annual enrollment, compliance activities, and special projects. The ideal candidate is highly organized, service-oriented, and committed to delivering an exceptional employee experience.

• Partner closely with UNUM, the Company’s leave administration vendor, to coordinate leave cases, ensure timely and accurate processing of leave requests, monitor case status, resolve discrepancies, and facilitate effective communication among employees, managers, payroll, and HR stakeholders.
• Manage employee leave programs, including but not limited to Family and Medical Leave (FMLA), state-paid leave programs, personal leaves of absence, military leave, parental leave, disability-related leaves, and other company-sponsored leave benefits.
• Evaluate leave requests, determine eligibility, and guide employees through the leave process from initial intake through case closure.
• Ensure timely completion, collection, and review of medical certifications, supporting documentation, and leave-related correspondence.
• Monitor leave durations, intermittent leave usage, and required employee updates while maintaining compliance with applicable regulations.
• Provide guidance to employees, community leaders, and HR partners regarding leave requirements, employee responsibilities, payroll impacts, benefits continuation, and return-to-work expectations.

• Coordinate the interactive process for workplace accommodation requests and partner with HR Partners and leaders to evaluate reasonable accommodation solutions.
• Maintain thorough documentation of accommodation discussions, decisions, and supporting records.
• Consult with HR leadership regarding complex accommodation situations or requests involving operational considerations.

• Partner with the Company’s Risk Department on workers’ compensation cases that involve leaves of absence, including situations where workers’ compensation may run concurrently with FMLA, state leave programs, or other protected leave entitlements.
• Coordinate with the Risk Department, employees, managers, and third-party administrators to ensure accurate leave tracking, timely communication, and compliance with applicable leave laws and company policies.
• Support the return-to-work process by monitoring employee restrictions, leave status, and anticipated return dates, ensuring alignment between workers’ compensation and leave administration requirements.
• Partner with HR, Risk, and operational leaders to facilitate reasonable accommodation and…