LOA Specialist

What We Do At Applegreen our mission is to delight customers in transit with passionate hospitality and brands they love Applegreen is a leading roadside retailer operating high quality travel plazas and service areas in the US Ireland and the UK Founded on a commitment to innovation operational excellence and customer experience Applegreen combines fuel convenience retail and a diverse portfolio of food and beverage offerings to create welcoming destinations for customers In the US Applegreen partners with major transportation authorities and operates more than 100 service plazas along some of the countrys busiest highways and turnpikes The company is known for modern facilities strong national and local food brands and an emphasis on freshness quality and sustainability At Applegreen our people are at the heart of what we do We foster a culture that values teamwork development and accountability offering employees opportunities to grow their careers in a fast paced dynamic environment Applegreen continues to expand while remaining focused on delivering exceptional service to customers and creating a great place to work Our Core Value Our core values define who we are and guide how we work every day They shape our decisions inspire our actions and influence how we engage with our customers suppliers business partners and one another Our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we doWe value and develop our people

We are driven by pace passion and performance

We seek opportunities and embrace change

Hybrid position with three days per week worked in our Glen Rock NJ office location and two days per week worked remotely

• Medical Dental Vision  Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401 k with Company Match
• Earned Wage Access Pay on Demand
• Education Assistance
• Employee Referral Bonus
• Pet Insurance

The Leave Specialist is responsible for managing and administering all employee leave programs across a multi state workforce including company sponsored and state mandated benefits such as Short Term Disability STD Long Term Disability LTD Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA state disability programs personal leaves and other unprotected leave requests All leave programs are administered internally without the use of a third party vendor This role ensures compliance with company policies and all applicable federal state and local leave regulations The Leave Specialist serves as a primary resource for employees and managers throughout the leave process providing guidance coordinating leave activities maintaining accurate documentation and ensuring timely case management The position works closely with the Field HR Support Team to deliver high quality service meet established service level expectations and support overall business objectives through effective leave administration and case management Maintains in house excel spreadsheets tracking Leaves of Absence and ADA requests A third party administrator is not used Partners with management regarding Americans with Disabilities Act ADA accommodation requests Provides communication forms job descriptions and related information as appropriate per established guidelines

Conducts the interactive process with associates during request for accommodations both stay at work accommodations and continuous leave as an accommodation

Coordinates State disability program administration as applicable Ensures coordination with State andor insurance vendor to achieve correct disability payments for Associates Completes related audit reports as required

Coordinates workers compensation claims with regard to timely communications and accurate tracking of status regarding return to work FMLA ADA compliance and related issues as assigned

Completes payroll related processes by reconciling reports with vendor and HR system to ensure correct disability payments

Prepares maintains and provides leave status and eligibility census reports including weekly monthly and ad hoc reports as required Ensures the integrity of related data in the companys HR system

Provides accurate and timely reporting and communication with business partners including vendors Payroll HRIS Risk Management and Legal as necessary to ensure the correct execution of leave programs

Advises managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off and short term and long term disability benefits Maintains email and voice mail logs of contacts and resolution of issues

Maintains excellent records of all transactions communications and resolutions to issues that would allow reconstruction of history in the case of an appeal or dispute on coverage

Delivers excellent customer service to Applegreen associates

Maintains knowledge of all applicable leave and accommodation laws including the FMLA ADA and state and local laws Tracks benefit premium payments during leaves of absence using excel spreadsheets and makes appropriate termination decisions where needed

Coordinate with vendors to ensure timely and accurate…