Senior Leave Specialist

Department Description: This role is providing support on the Beth Israel Lahey Health Total Rewards team.

Job Location: Boston, MA

Req ID: 39266BR


Job Summary: The Senior Leave Specialist administers all aspects of the Beth Israel Lahey Health leave of absence program, including eligibility, tracking and reporting. Administers MAPFML, FMLA, STD, LTD, Worker's Compensation, ADA and other leaves. Serves as the day-to-day leave of absence contact for all BILH colleagues, including physicians and senior management.

Ensures that leave and disability policies, procedures, benefit summaries and forms are kept up-to-date and in compliance with legal and regulatory changes. Creates and maintains leave of absence and disability records and files to ensure accurate and timely information and documentation.

Contributes to the development of benefits communications and training initiatives, and updates to benefits self-service HRIS modules and internal websites. Leverages technology to simplify and streamline internal processes. Advises on leave of absence processes within HRIS. Provides support on projects for new or modified leave or disability programs.

Essential Responsibilities:

1. Provides leave and disability subject matter expertise, resolves complex issues, and escalates issues to HR and senior management as appropriate. Develops collaborative working relationships across functional areas and advises all levels of management regarding effective leave administration.
2. Leads a collaborative process with line management, HR colleagues, and Employee Health to ensure that return-to-work and end-of-employment processes are appropriately managed. Collaborates on appropriate handling of benefits impacted by leaves of absence, return-to-work, and end-of-employment such as; medical, dental, life, and disability.
3. Develops strong working relationships with vendors to ensure accurate, efficient, and timely claims administration and excellent customer service.
4. Administers leave of absence and disability programs, including MAPFML, FMLA, STD, LTD, Worker's Compensation and ADA.
5. Ensures compliance with legal and legislative changes for leave program policies, procedures, plan documents, and benefit summaries.
6. Maintains knowledge of the regulatory environment for benefits programs. Leads leave compliance activities, including required notifications and communications to employees.
7. Develops and maintains communications, including benefits summaries, forms and training initiatives. Uses a variety of media (including state-of-the-art technology) and methods to make benefits-related information readily accessible and comprehensible to Lahey colleagues.
8. Participates in the design and implementation of comprehensive educational activities and communication programs to efficiently and effectively communicate benefits information to HR staff, management, employees and physicians, including workshops, manuals, handbooks, standardized reports, etc.
9. Examines and explains complex benefits related concepts in a manner which is readily comprehensible to all constituencies. Provides subject matter expertise on benefit change and testing processes in HRIS. Provides expertise for HRIS changes and maintenance projects.
10. Coordinates and collaborates on the provision of administrative services by third parties for leave and disability programs. Oversees electronic availability and distribution of leave and disability information on the local intranet sites..

Required Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree required.
2. 5-8 years related work experience required in Benefits and Leaves.
3. Provides benefits expertise and assistance on other projects as needed. Supports various benefits activities as needed, including enrollments and orientations.
4. Benefits experience with a full spectrum of leave and disability benefit programs including experience administering FMLA, worker's compensation, short term disability, long term disability and ADA and regulatory updates. Experience providing administrative support on an array of benefits programs.
5. Experience with computer systems required, including web based applications and some Microsoft Office applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access.

Competencies:

1. Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by general instructions and practices requiring some interpretation. May make recommendations for solving problems of moderate complexity and importance.
2. Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents.
3. Independence of Action: Ability to follow precedents and procedures. May set priorities and organize work within general guidelines. Seeks assistance when confronted with difficult and/or unpredictable situations. Work progress is monitored by supervisor/manager.
4. Written Communications: Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in written English with internal and external customers.
5. Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and converse in English to communicate effectively with medical center staff, patients, families and external customers.
6. Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.
7. Team Work: Ability to interact respectfully with other employees, professional staff and/or external contacts to offer ideas, identify issues, obtain information or deliver services.
8. Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service to patients, visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.

Physical Nature of the Job:
Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally in carrying, lifting, pushing, pulling objects. Sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required only occasionally