Associate Director, Absence Management

Salary Range

$ - $

138089WD

Associate Director, Absence Management serves as subject matter expert for leave, accommodations, workers' compensation, disability, and paid time off and will partner with Office of General Counsel, EEO/Accommodation, Safety, HR leadership to accomplish role.

This position leads the programmatic strategy and daily operations for LOAs, Accommodations, Workers Compensation, and Disability in accordance with federal and state employment laws (FMLA, ADA, USERRA, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Workers Compensation, etc.)

Partners with Employee Service Center, HRISS, Employee Relations, Labor Relations, Employee Health and Safety, Risk, and General Counsel to improve policies, practices, and procedures to optimize program effectiveness.

Provide guidance, education, and support to managers, colleagues, employees, and other key stakeholders.

• Develop and implement progressive solutions to improve effectiveness of programs and policies.
• Manage team dedicated to compliant and resourceful solution of absence management issues including case management, return to work coordination, various state paid family and medical leave programs, STD, LTD, retirement and other separation of service activities.
• Manage third party administration and vendors regarding delivery of services. Produce professional management reports on unit activity. Provide and analyze leave statistics identifying trends and make recommendations for improvements. Create process maps and design, develop and implement new processes and procedures to streamline for efficiencies. Partner with the Director in identifying key areas of concern, with documentation, analysis, issue formation and resolution.
• Design and deliver campus outreach and training programs.
• Engage in RFP and other placement of business procedures.
• Act as subject matter expert for HR colleagues and department, other HR departments and employees regarding FMLA and the University's leave of absence programs.
• Apply expertise of FMLA, ADA, and Workers Compensation regulations and amendments, case law, and relevant sections of Yale policies and procedures, including bargaining unit contracts. Identify complex leave situations and make recommendations on possible need for ADA accommodations, transitioning to LTD, etc. suggesting appropriate referrals.
• Works closely with team members and vendors to ensure handoffs between the programs are seamless, offering an exceptional customer experience, connecting leaves of absence to accommodations to workers' compensation, as well as state paid leave programs, individually purchased disability policies and short-and-long-term disability.
• Oversee the counseling of employees approaching the end of leave or in layoff notification period to provide guidance of options including retirement; disability retirement; LTD and refer to appropriate resources.
• Identifies and leads the implementation of proper processes to track FMLA and University-sponsored leave entitlements along with contractual and policy-based milestones. Support the Yale community and HRBPs through training and education, providing guidance on next steps.
• Protect the interests of the University in hearings, negotiations and in the daily operation of the department’s various programs. Act as a liaison to the Office of General Council. Participate and represent the University at hearings and grievances.
• May perform other duties as assigned.

• Managed HR programs and vendors with proven success.
• Demonstrated management of case management system and presentation skills, with the ability to effectively create and facilitate collaboration amongst diverse groups.
• Proven ability to assess and produce…