Leave of Absence Specialist

Work Arrangement: This is a full-time position with a hybrid or fully remote position. Candidates based in California are preferred.

Fisher Phillips, a premier international labor and employment law firm, is seeking a skilled and experienced Leave of Absence Specialist to join our team. In this essential role, you will own the leave of absence life cycle for a high-volume desk, serving as the primary advisor to our employees through meticulous 50-state (and heavy California) compliance. This role exercises independent judgment, partners with HR and leadership on risk mitigation, and guides employees through sensitive or multifaceted leave and accommodation situations.

• Own the end-to-end leave process for a high-volume desk, including intake, eligibility determination, required certifications, and return-to-work coordination.
• Serve as the resident expert on California’s unique leave landscape, including the integration of PDL, CFRA, and FMLA, as well as SDI and PFL coordination.
• Lead the ADA interactive process for employees returning with restrictions or seeking accommodations, ensuring a collaborative and compliant outcome.
• Act as a consultant to managers on complex leave cases, intermittent FMLA usage, and “gray area” disability claims.
• Maintain complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with appropriate requirements, ensuring required documentation is gathered and tracked in accordance with all leave of absence process steps and updated appropriately in the Firm’s leave management system and HRIS.
• Partner with Benefits, Payroll, and third-party administrators to ensure accurate benefit integration and pay coordination, ensuring employees are paid correctly while on leave.
• Monitor compliance, documentation standards, and legal risk exposure.
• Develop and generate tracking reports to identify and analyze leave data and trends.
• Identify process improvements to ensure the administration of the leave program is managed in an efficient and effective manner with a client‑centric focus.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date knowledge on 50-state leave laws; proactively updating Firm policies and templates to reflect new statutory requirements.
• Educate managers on leave policies and compliance requirements through quarterly leave learning sessions.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 5 years of dedicated experience administering leaves for a multi‑site organization.
• Minimum of three years of California‑specific experience, including PDL, CFRA, SDI, PFL, and related programs, with knowledge of employment laws and regulations across all 50 states.
• Expert level understanding of applicable state and federal regulations associated with short‑term disability, FMLA, ADA, and/or other state leave and disability programs.
• Proficiency in at least one enterprise‑level leave tracking platform.
• Proven experience managing at least 100–150 active/pending cases simultaneously while delivering excellent client service to employees.
• Ability to prioritize effectively and think independently, while recognizing complex situations and when there is a need to elevate for effective resolution.
• Experience in a law firm or other billable environment is highly preferred.

In accordance with California’s amended labor code as stated in Senate Bill 1162, the expected salary range for this California position is between $87,770 – $100,000. Actual base pay within this range will be determined by several components, including but not limited to relevant experience, internal equity, skills, qualifications, and other job‑related factors permitted by law. This position is also eligible for a discretionary bonus of up to 5% of the annual salary (prorated the first year).

The final bonus amount, which is based on your individual performance and other relevant factors, will be determined at the Firm's sole discretion.

The salary range for this position is $80,000 – $92,000. Actual base pay within this range will be determined by several components, including but not limited to, relevant experience, internal equity,…