Protected Leave & Accommodation Manager; WMS​/DLS

Protected Leave & Accommodation Manager (WMS2/DLS)

The Protected Leave and Accommodation Manager provides expert human resource guidance and operational leadership to the Protected Leave and Accommodation Team, and is responsible for directing, managing, and maintaining the agency’s Protected Leave and Accommodations program for approximately 1,800 HCA employees throughout the state. It ensures legal compliance, strategy formulation, administration, consultation, and resolution of issues for:

• Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML).
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Reasonable Accommodation (RA).
• Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD) related to religious accommodations.
• Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and Healthy Starts Act (HSA).
• Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
• Other legally protected leaves.
• Shared Leave.

This position also serves as the agency’s Workers Compensation Coordinator, managing all Labor and Industries (LI) workers’ compensation claims for the agency, and managing the Infants at the Workplace program. It provides expert interpretation and consultation to agency employees, supervisors, and executive leadership regarding relevant WACs, RCWs, and relevant articles of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), policies, and procedures, and processes that apply to reasonable accommodation and legally protected leave.

The incumbent is responsible for reducing and mitigating the risks associated with protected leaves, RA, and Worker’s Compensation claims (including Return to Work) on behalf of the agency.

• Research legislation, case law, and trends relating to ADA, WLAD, FMLA, PFML, USERRA, Shared Leave, PWFA/HSA, and Workers Compensation and develops and updates agency policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements and reduce agency liability.
• Develops and presents training to agency leaders in areas of assigned responsibilities to support agency-wide compliance with federal, state, and agency requirements.
• Conducts legislative analysis on behalf of the agency for bills related to scope of assigned subject matter expertise, as detailed above.
• Provides subject-matter expertise and participates in internal agency investigations in response to HRC/EEOC complaints, as requested.
• Develops and maintains processes and databases for case management, documentation, and analysis, for all assigned programs. Independently manages, maintains, monitors and/or assigns case load of employees requesting RA, FMLA, PFML, and Shared Leave, ensuring documentation is received.
• Facilitates the interactive RA process with management and employees, including: reviews medical information to assess accommodation needs; explores options and negotiates appropriate accommodations consistent with business needs, documented medical necessity, and reasonableness under the ADA. Provides advice on implementation of agreed upon accommodation(s) to applicants/employees, supervisors, and managers.
• Reviews cases, researches options, and consult with senior Human Resources Management and/or Assistant Attorney General (AAG) staff to formulate strategies to minimize agency legal exposure when addressing unprecedented cases. Consults with senior management to review and determine options for managing complex cases and facilitates the interactive RA process according to planned strategy.

This role is an exceptional opportunity for an HR leader who wants to help employees be aware of and receive protected leave entitlements and supports, and make a tangible, positive impact on employee well‑being, while ensuring agency compliance with these…