HR Generalist Wellness & Leave Management Specialist

The HR Generalist — Benefits, Wellness & Leave Management Specialist serves as a trusted employee resource and key functional specialist supporting benefits administration, wellness initiatives, and leave management across AKG’s NC and SD locations. This role combines day-to-day HR Generalist responsibilities with ownership and coordination of employee benefits programs, wellness activities, and leave administration processes to ensure positive employee experience, strong compliance practices, and consistent support across the organization.

The HR Generalist — Benefits, Wellness & Leave Management Specialist serves as a trusted employee resource and key functional specialist supporting benefits administration, wellness initiatives, and leave management across AKG’s NC and SD locations. This role combines day-to-day HR Generalist responsibilities with ownership and coordination of employee benefits programs, wellness activities, and leave administration processes to ensure positive employee experience, strong compliance practices, and consistent support across the organization.

This position works closely with employees, managers, payroll, vendors, and HR leadership to provide responsive support, maintain accurate records, ensure compliance with applicable laws and company policies, and support employee well-being initiatives aligned with The AKG Way. This position reports directly to the on-site HR Manager for day-to-day supervision and operational support and maintains a matrix reporting relationship with the HR Manager overseeing Benefits & Wellness for functional guidance and alignment.

Benefits Administration & Employee Support Administer company-sponsored benefits programs (medical, dental, vision, life, disability, voluntary, retirement, and company-paid plans).
Process billing invoices, enrollments, life events, terminations, and updates accurately and timely.
Maintain benefit records in HRIS and vendor systems.
Serve as the primary contact for employee benefit inquiries, issue resolution, and education.
Support Open Enrollment (communications, testing, enrollments, meetings).
Partner with Payroll on deductions and discrepancies.
Coordinate with vendors/carriers on eligibility files, invoices, reporting, and issues.
Ensure compliance with ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, ERISA, Medicare Part D, and related regulations.
Prepare benefits of documentation and communication materials.
Support benchmarking, program evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Assist with 401(k) administration and audits with vendors and finance.
Wellness Program Coordination Support implementation and coordination of wellness initiatives, campaigns, and well-being programs across locations.
Assist with communication, outreach, engagement, and education.
Coordinate events (Lunch & Learns, screenings, wellness fairs, flu shots, awareness campaigns).
Partner with vendors, clinic staff, carriers, and internal teams.
Track participation, engagement, metrics, and feedback. Develop communications, newsletters, incentives, and resources.
Promote EAP and wellness programs.
Ensure compliance with HIPAA, ADA, GINA, ACA, and support initiatives that encourage engagement and preventive care.
Leave Management Administration
-Serve as a primary resource for employees and managers on leave programs. Administer FMLA, ADA accommodations, STD, LTD, personal, military, bereavement, and statutory leaves.
Manage end-to-end leave processes (intake, documentation, tracking, communication, return-to-work).
Partner with third-party administrators
Maintain accurate, audit-ready records in HRIS.
Support ADA interactive process and accommodation documentation. Coordinate with Payroll on pay, deductions,…