The Leave & Disability Specialist will be responsible for supporting the Cooper. Companies leave of absence program administration in North America. This position will serve as the subject matter expert on leave of absence administration, requests, and accommodations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local leave laws, and short-term or long-term disability plans. Participate as a Case Management Team member (with supervisors and s... more details
Job Summary:
The Leave & Disability Specialist will be responsible for supporting the CooperCompanies leave of absence program administration in North America. This position will serve as the subject matter expert on leave of absence administration, requests, and accommodations under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), state and local leave laws, and short-term or long-term disability plans. Participate as a Case Management Team member (with supervisors and staff from Human Resources, Safety, and Workers’ Compensation), provide best-in-class clinical and administrative case management services for (1) medically necessary work activity restrictions, (2) work absences due to serious health conditions requiring use of company’s Short-Term Disability program and qualifying for Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave. Ensure compliance with any Federal, State and company leave policies and requirements.
Essential Functions & Accountabilities:
- Communicates with employees, leadership, payroll, and human resources regarding an employee’s need for leave and/or modified work schedules. Ensures that employees are aware of their responsibilities and the requirements to successfully process a leave request with our leave administrator partner.
- Reviews and oversees the leave administration process between the Company and the leave administrator partner from the employee’s initial notice of the need for leave to the return to work.
- Maintains reasonable communication with employees on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work, relays communication between employees, payroll, human resources, and their managers during leave within reason.
- Advises managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off, workers compensation, and short-term and long-term disability benefits.
- Oversees the return-to-work process for employees returning from extended FMLA, workers compensation, or other leave(s).
- Facilitates other leave requests, which may include accommodation requests under the ADA.
- Administers other company time-off programs as assigned in accordance with internal policy and applicable laws.
- Ensures there are complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements and documentation of best practices.
- Preserves confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files.
- Maintains knowledge of all applicable leave and accommodation laws including the FMLA, ADA, and state and local laws.
Travel Requirements:
- This role may require travel.
- Estimated less than 5% (3 weeks per year)
CooperCompanies’ management team is committed to the development of and implementation of the quality management system and maintaining its effectiveness by communicating to the organization the importance of meeting customer as well as statutory and regulatory requirements.
Qualifications
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of the leave requirements and other legal protections afforded by the FMLA, ADA, and other applicable laws.
- Strong project management and organizational skills.
- Exceptional customer service focus, utilizing excellent interpersonal skills for the purpose of communicating and listening, and with an emphasis on tact and diplomacy.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
- Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications - Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, or the equivalent.
Work Environment:
- Hybrid Role: Both remote and normal office setting
- Frequent visits to production and warehouse work areas
- Exposed to a combination of office and shop environments
Experience:
- Minimum 5 - 8 years of leave management experience.
- Direct experience handling leave protections afforded by ADA/ADAAA
Education:
- Completion of specialized certification or training on FMLA/leave administration, preferred.
Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. Minority/Female/Disability/Veteran
For U.S. locations that require disclosure of compensation, the starting base pay for this role is between $85,010 and $113,346 annually and may include cost of living adjustments. The actual base pay includes many factors and is subject to change and modification in the future. This position may also be eligible for other types of compensation and benefits.
