Benefits Analyst - Leaves and Disability

Western Governors University · Salt Lake City · $68,300–$102,500 (stated in the posting)

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If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Job Description

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

• Provides comprehensive case management and administrative support for a high volume of leave of absence and workplace accommodation cases, ensuring cases are managed accurately, timely, confidentially, and in accordance with applicable company policies and federal, state, and local requirements. Reviews and evaluates leave and accommodation requests and supporting documentation; tracks case status, required documentation, eligibility, deadlines, and employee communications; and coordinates appropriate next steps with employees, managers, People & Talent partners, Benefits, Payroll, vendors, and other internal stakeholders.
• Manages multiple complex and time-sensitive leave and accommodation cases simultaneously, prioritizing work based on business needs, employee circumstances, regulatory requirements, and established service-level expectations. Maintains accurate and complete case records and documentation in applicable systems and ensures timely follow-up on outstanding actions, certifications, approvals, denials, extensions, returns to work, and other case milestones.
• Supports the administration of leave programs, including FMLA, company-provided leaves, personal leaves, disability-related leaves, workers' compensation-related absences, and applicable state and local leave programs. Assists with the administration of workplace accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local requirements, including intake, documentation review, interactive process support, accommodation tracking, reevaluations, and coordination with appropriate People & Talent stakeholders.
• Partners with managers and People & Talent business partners to provide guidance regarding leave and accommodation processes, employee communications, attendance considerations, return-to-work requirements, and applicable policies. Escalates complex, sensitive, or potentially high-risk leave and accommodation matters to appropriate leadership, Employee Relations, Legal, or other subject matter experts as needed.
• Provides impeccable customer service and support in a timely, accurate, and professional manner. Using, the internal “help desk” support system, coordinates the handling of employee benefits, leave and accommodation questions from employees, business managers, third-party benefits administrators, payroll, and HR colleagues within People & Talent. Responds to questions and requests via phone, email, instant messaging, in-person, support queue, and other channels.
• Coordinates with third-party leave, disability, and benefits vendors to support timely and accurate case administration, resolve escalated issues, research discrepancies, and ensure appropriate communication and follow-up. Monitors vendor performance and case activity and escalates service concerns, processing errors, or employee-impacting issues when appropriate.
• Serves as a mentor and trainer for less experienced team members and provides peer review of team member work as necessary.
• Supports team consistency and quality by sharing knowledge related to leave, accommodations, benefits administration, case management, policies, procedures, systems, and regulatory requirements.
• Develops and maintains documentation of critical employee benefits, leave and accommodation processes and procedures. Assists team members with root cause analysis associated with issues or problems and helps identify process, policy, workflow, or system improvements.
• Identifies opportunities to improve the employee experience, reduce case backlogs, increase operational efficiency, strengthen compliance, and improve the accuracy and consistency of case administration.
• Performs regular case audits, data reviews, and quality assurance activities to identify trends, ensure accurate case management, verify compliance with established processes and service-level expectations, and support continuous improvement. Assists with reporting and analysis related to leave, accommodations, benefits, case volumes, trends, and operational performance.
• Plays an active role in employee benefits, leave and accommodation education, training, and communication across the organization, including delivering and assisting with digital and print materials, in-person and online presentations, manager education, and employee communications.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills in dealing proactively with all levels of internal and external individuals including, employees, leaders, fellow team members, and external administrators and advisers.
• Ability to work effectively in a collaborative team environment, demonstrating influence and leadership.
• Strong communication skills marked by the ability to write, read, and interpret technical material.
• Knowledge of and demonstrated prior experience with operational and strategic aspects of employee benefit plans, including insurance renewals, retirement plans, vendor management, government filings, communications, and benchmarking.
• Ability to maintain a current, solid understanding of University employee benefit programs and available resources.
• Strong understanding of laws and regulations as they apply to HR areas, especially employee benefits, leaves, and accommodations.
• Comfortable working with MS Office products, data in various formats, and information systems to process requests, answer questions, prepare reports, and identify problems.
• Solid technical understanding of HRIS and related processes associated with employee benefits, and the cross-functional impacts with other enterprise systems.
• Data-driven orientation with ability to diagnose root causes, identify primary drivers of outcomes, and recommend positive changes.
• Applicable knowledge in the design and management of all standard employee benefits programs; maintaining retirement programs; to include project management, enrollment, vendor management, auditing, filings, and training, education, and communication.
• Ability to provide creative and innovative thinking to identify inventive and unique applications of standard/common solutions.
• The ability to make presentations to groups of employees or team members, and to communicate technical matters effectively and persuasively in writing, through emails and reports, or verbally.
• Very strong work ethic, collaborative orientation, and eagerness to take on new assignments, with the ability to excel in a very fast-paced environment with frequently changing priorities.
• The ability to plan, organize, and prioritize multiple and simultaneous time-sensitive activities.
• A keen interest in contributing to the success of teams and growth of individuals. Actively contributes to a feeling of belonging among individuals in the organization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-supported decisions.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources or related field or equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.  High school diploma required.
• 2-3 years of experience specifically working with Leaves of Absence and Accommodations.
• Ability to manage a high volume of LOA and accommodation cases simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience presenting to groups.
• Experience in a large organization's human resources function.
• HR shared service center experience.
• Experience with HRIS/payroll systems.
• Workday experience.
• Progress toward or completion of Certified Benefits Professional (CBP), Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), or other HR-related certifications.

Travel:
This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

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Position & Application Details

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

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