Benefits Manager

Benefits Manager

Reporting to the Associate Director, Benefits & Employee Wellbeing, the Benefits Manager will manage the day-to-day health and total rewards plans, and enhancing workflow processes and procedures. They will also be responsible for coordinating benefits and various fiscal items with the Benefits broker, external vendors and benefit partners, the Associate Director, HR client services, and various departments such as Payroll and Finance.

• Manages all leaves of absence, including but not limited to Family Medical Leave, Workers Compensation, Paid Family Leave and Short and Long Term Disability, ensuring that employees are aware of their responsibilities and of any documentation and notice required to qualify for and to take leave.
• Manages and coordinates medical reasonable accommodation requests (ADA) and interactive process liaison, coordinating with vendor, department, employee other parties.
• Primary contact and communicates with employees on all leave requests, updates, information, etc to facilitate smooth and timely leave start and return to work; relays communication between employees and their managers during leaves. Provides managers with timely and relevant updates.
• Oversees the return-to-work process for employees returning from extended FMLA, Paid Family Leave, workers compensation, disability or other leave(s).
• Facilitates and coordinates other leave requests, such as communication, documentation, wage verifications, insurance information, status updates, etc.
• Coordinate with HRIS to ensure proper payment of employees on leave status (ie. Use of sick time, etc)
• Serve a point of contact for time off and absence management questions such as eligibility and use of time off for vacation, sick, floating holidays, bereavement jury duty, etc
• Responsible for ensuring high quality and high touch service to all parties in the leave and absence management process.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state and local regulations, including, but not limited to ERISA, HIPAA, FMLA, and COBRA. Prepare reports and applications required by law to be filed with federal and state agencies, such as Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor, insurance commissioners and other regulatory agencies.
• Monitor, review and analyze changes to state and federal laws pertaining to benefits, and report necessary or suggested changes to senior leadership e.g., impact of DOMA, ACA.
• Prepare and execute, with legal consultation, benefit documentation such as original and amended plan texts, SPDs, benefit agreements and insurance policies. Instruct insurance carriers and other administrative agencies outside the College to affect changes in benefit programs. Ensure prompt and accurate compliance.

• Serving as the primary point of contact for the college, administers the employee benefits programs for faculty and staff, including, but is not limited to, retirement, medical, dental, disability, life insurance, tuition, flexible spending accounts, worker's compensation, COBRA and unemployment. Oversee plan administration in accordance with plan provisions, documentation, legal and regulatory requirements to ensure ongoing operational compliance.
• In collaboration and under the direction of the Associate Director, Benefits & Employee Wellbeing, manages the Open Enrollment process, ensuring a smooth transition for benefits eligible employees from one calendar year to the next. This includes, but is not limited to, preparing communications, following up on tasks in HRIS, monitor progression of enrollment and working with partners to ensure employees are engaged in the active and/or passive enrollment process, coordinate with HRIS and vendors on updated census and enrollment files, etc.
• Conduct New Hire Orientation for the various Employee groups (admin, faculty, staff, union employees, etc.). Provide information and support to new hires and answer any questions and follow up when necessary.
• Provides consultative subject matter expertise, advice, and guidance regarding benefits matters to employees, building strong partnership and…