Benefits and Leave of Absence Specialist at Ziegler Caterpillar

Ziegler CAT is looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented Benefits and Leave of Absence Specialist to join our Human Resources team. In this role, you will be responsible for managing and administering leave process for our employees. You will also serve as the main point of contact for employees seeking FMLA/leave of absence, ensuring compliance with company policies and legal requirements. To be successful in this position, you must be a motivated individual with excellent communication skills, thrives on meeting deadlines with the ability to handle confidential information with discretion. This position is based out of our corporate office in Bloomington, MN and offers a hybrid work schedule.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary contact for employees requesting leave of absence, providing guidance, and explaining the process to ensure understanding of their rights and responsibilities

• Receive and review leave of absence requests, ensuring complete and accurate documentation is provided by employees and managers

• Assess and determine eligibility for leaves, considering factors such as medical certifications, duration of leave requested and applicable laws and regulations 

• Coordinate and communicate with employees and managers to facilitate the timely and smooth processing of leave requests

• Review and evaluate requests for accommodation using the interactive process to ensure the best practices are implemented in compliance with ADA

• Maintain accurate leave of absence records and coordinate paid-time off and paid leaves by accurately coding leave types and status within Workday to ensure timely and accurate employee pay

• Communicate with employees on leave regarding status of claims, expected return to work dates, providing updated medical documentation, etc.

• Liaise with third party vendor regarding employee eligibility and medical certification approval

• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with leave vendors

• Communicate absence, accommodation and return to work information as appropriate to employees and relevant supervisor/manager.

• Assist with administration of various employee benefits programs, primarily focused on disability, life insurance, and leave administration, but also help supporting group health, flexible spending accounts, dental and vision, wellness, and retirement

• Assist employees with health, dental, life and other related benefit claims

• Coordinate and administer COBRA insurance, ensuring timely and accurate processing of information according to procedures

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience in HR service/contact center supporting HR, payroll and/or benefits

• Bachelor or Associate Degree preferred

• Experience with Workday time and attendance or comparable HCM software

• Familiarity with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Required Qualifications

• 1-3+ years working in an HR services organization, preferably in leave of absence and accommodation administration

• High school diploma or GED and 2 years of experience in employee benefits/leave administration

• Proficiency with MS Office suite of software (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel)

• Organized with strong attention to detail

• Ability to multi-task and demonstrate strong follow through

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Effective problem-solving skills through active listening, trouble shooting and critical thinking