Leave of Absence Specialist

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MN is hiring a Leave of Absence (LOA) Specialist in Eagan, MN. In this role, you are a key member of the Total Rewards Team, responsible for managing and administering day-to-day employee leave of absence and accommodation programs, including FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act), STD (short-term disability) and LTD (long-term disability), ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Workers Compensation, and other types of leave. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, and provides support to associates, managers, human resource business partners (HRBPs), benefits, and payroll throughout the leave process. 

You are a strong relationships builder with 3+ years of Leave of Absence experience and have strong attention to detail, critical thinking skills and an ability to apply your knowledge to an enterprise leave and disability program  .  

This is a hybrid role (2 days a week in office), out of Eagan, MN.  

Job Duties: 

• Manage the day-to-day relationship with the company’s third-party leave of absence vendor to successfully administer a high-volume leave and accommodation caseload.  

• Proactively analyze vendor performance to ensure contractual obligations are regularly met. 

• Recommend, support, and implement a successful and compliant leave of absence and workplace accommodation program, in cooperation with Human Resources leadership. 

• Build and maintain positive relationships across all levels and positions within the company on matters related to leaves and accommodations. 

• Serve as a subject matter expert on protected absence and accommodations at the federal, state, and local level, including but not limited to FMLA, ADA, PWFA (Pregnant Workers Fairness Act), and worker’s compensation. 

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Employee Relations and Human Resources Business Partners for complex leave cases, providing expert advice and resolution for escalated issues; Empower others to make effective decisions. 

• Effectively utilize leave data and trends to drive continuous improvement, recommending solutions to reduce administrative costs and translate business needs into solutions. 

• Individually facilitate beginning-to-end leave of absence and accommodation processes. 

• Identify and proactively respond to leave and accommodation concerns or escalations. 

• Regularly respond to inquiries from associates and leaders via phone, email, and the company’s case management tool (ServiceNow). 

• Implement a return-to-work program that considers associate and business needs and readiness. 

• Maintain organized and compliant records using the utmost discretion and confidentiality. 

• Perform time sensitive duties in cooperation with payroll and benefits teams to ensure seamless and accurate leave administration. 

• Serve as a subject matter expert on the company’s leave of absence policies. 

• Develop and deliver training programs for HRBPs, managers, and associates on leave policies, procedures, and best practices. 

• Other duties as assigned. 

Basic Qualifications: 

• 3+ years of related professional experience. All relevant experience including work, education, transferable skills, and military experience will be considered. 

• Strong program management capability with experience in fast paced environments and the ability to accurately and succinctly communicate with multiple stakeholders. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills 

• Comfort in conducting training sessions or presentations for mid-to-large size groups (20-200) 

• Proficiency in HRIS and leave management systems. 

• Strong commitment to maintain a high level of confidentiality and integrity. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience in FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, federal and state leave laws and regulations, worker’s compensation laws, and leave management processes. 

• Certification in HR (e.g., PHR, SHRM-CP). 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 

• Experience in Workday leave module (or a similar leave administration technology). 

• Experience using ServiceNow (or a similar case management system). 

• Ability to create foundational analytics using Excel (pivot tables, v-lookup, charts, etc) and effectively communicate insights.