HR Specialist, Leave of Absence/ADA Accommodations - HR Company

Company Profile: 

For 40 years, HR Your Way / Your People Professionals, a well-respected, California-based human resources management firm, has been providing superior human resources, payroll and benefits administration services for businesses across a variety of industries.    

Job Summary:  

Reporting to the Lead HR Generalist, the HR Leave of Absence & ADA Accommodations Specialist, will provide administrative and coordination support for our clients’ employees’ leave of absence and disability accommodation programs. Working under the guidance of the HR Generalists, this person will be responsible for daily leave case processing, preparing required employee notices and correspondence and assisting in coordinating ADA accommodation requests. In addition, the Specialist will ensure accurate, timely handling of leave events and escalate decisions, complex cases and regulatory interpretations to the HR Generalists for review and approval.

Duties / Responsibilities:

Leave Administration Support:

Process and track leave of absence requests including FMLA, state-mandated leave, short- and long-term disability, workers’ compensation, military/USERRA, personal and bereavement;

Serve as a first point of contact for employee leave inquiries, gathering information and routing cases appropriately; escalate non-routine questions to the HR Generalists;

Monitor leave timelines, certification due dates and exhaustion thresholds; alert HR Generalists when action or decision-making is required;

Coordinate with payroll, benefits and third-party administrators, to ensure leave events are processed accurately and escalating discrepancies as needed;

Track intermittent leave usage and flag potential misuse or pattern concerns to the HR Generalists for review;

Support return-to-work logistics, including collecting fit-for-duty certifications and communicating timelines to managers for final return decisions reviewed by the HR Generalists.

Employee Notices & Documentation:

Prepare all required federal and state leave notices (e.g., FMLA eligibility notices, rights & responsibilities notices, designation notices, state equivalents) for HR Generalists’ review, prior to distribution;

Draft standard leave correspondence such as approval letters, medical certification requests and exhaustion notices utilizing established templates; route non-standard or sensitive letters to the HR Generalist for drafting or approval;

Maintain accurate, confidential leave and accommodation files, in compliance with HIPAA and company recordkeeping requirements;

Assist in updating leave-related forms, templates and employee-facing resources as directed.

ADA Accommodation Coordination:

Intake ADA accommodation requests and gather relevant medical documentation from employees and healthcare providers for HR Generalists’ review;

Maintain accommodation tracking logs and monitor the status of open requests, flagging aging or stalled cases to the HR Generalists;

Prepare draft accommodation outcome correspondence for HR Generalists’ review and approval, before distribution;

Coordinate scheduling and logistics for the interactive process meetings, which will be reviewed by the HR Generalist Lead, for final determinations and accommodation decisions;

Support ongoing accommodation monitoring by conducting routine check-ins with employees and documenting updates and escalating changes in medical status to the HR Generalists.

Reporting & General Support:

Maintain leave and accommodation data in the HRIS; generate routine reports on case volume, leave utilization and case aging, for HR Generalists’ review;

Stay current on basic leave law requirements and internal policy updates, as communicated by the HR Generalists or HR leadership;

Assist with leave program audits and process improvement initiatives as directed;

Provide general HR administrative support related to leave and accommodation, as needed. 

Qualifications:

Associate’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, preferred; or equivalent work experience;

PHR or SHRM-CP certification, or active pursuit of same, a plus;

At least 1 – 2 years of HR leave coordination experience;

Basic familiarity with FMLA, ADA and CA state leave laws;

Knowledge of multi-state leave administration, a plus;

Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and empathy;

Proficiency with MS Office 365 and HRIS systems;

Exemplary time management, accuracy, organizational, problem-solving, attention to detail, multi-tasking, decision-making, critical thinking and customer service skills; 

Ability to work effectively alone, following training period and within a high-pressure team environment.    

Working Hours: 

8:00AM – 5:00PM Monday through Friday, with 1 hour for lunch and 2 10-minute breaks.   

Compensation: 

$30.00 - $ 34.00 per hour DOE for this full-time, non-exempt position.   

Benefits: 

Medical, dental, vision and life insurance paid 100% for employee; 

Additional voluntary supplementary coverage options; 

Retirement plan – not company-matched;  

Annual paid vacation on an accrual basis; 

Annual paid sick time on an accrual basis;  

Paid public holidays.     

Location: 

Santa Maria, CA – on site position 

Salary : $30 - $34