The LOA Specialist serves as the subject matter expert for all LOA programs and serves as the point of contact for leadership and legal on escalated matters and policy interpretation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Interprets and clarifies HFT LOA policies to address inquiries from associates, managers, and HR partners
• Liaison with the leave of absence and disability administrators to ensure proper administration of leaves of absence consistent with applicable laws and company policies
• May provide direction to other departments including IT, security, payroll and HR to resolve matters impacted by an associate’s leave of absence
• Administers the return to work process including the timely and accurate entry of return to work dates into the HRIS system.
• Manages and provides direction on denied leaves of absence for assigned regions, departments, or locations.
• Manages requests for reasonable accommodation under the ADA/ADAAA for assigned regions, departments, or locations
• Conducts vendor and HRIS audits to ensure accuracy of LOA records and resolves discrepancies in a timely manner
• Prepares and conducts training for employees and managers on leave of absence policies and programs.
• Identifies gaps or opportunities for improvement to the leave of absence process and recommends solutions
• Identifies and immediately escalates potential opportunities for risk/exposure to the organization during the completion of assigned duties
• Facilitates weekly issue resolution call with third party leave of absence administrator
• Participates in weekly update call with third party leave of absence administrator
• Participates in the selection of third party leave administration partners and the evaluation of vendor performance
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Job Qualifications – Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree is strongly preferred
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience administering LOA programs
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience using an HRIS (i.e., Workday, SAP, Ultipro, Oracle, PeopleSoft, Paychex, and Kronos)
• Retail and/or Multi-state large (up to 5,000 employees) employer experience preferred
• Working knowledge and understanding of HIPAA, FMLA, CFRA, PDL, USERRA, ADA, ADAAA, and other applicable legislation

Job Qualifications – Skills

• Strong customer service and interpersonal skills are required
• Ability to easily and effectively communicate complex information in a meaningful manner and work collaboratively with peers
• Ability to analyze and resolve complex customer service issues
• Proficient with the Microsoft office suite including Excel and Outlook
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to collaborate successfully with internal and external business partners
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail with strong follow-through skills
• Ability to work independently, effectively prioritize work and consistently meet daily, weekly and monthly deadlines
• Must be able to efficiently and effectively manage a high volume of inquiries and e-mails

Physical Requirements
General office environment requiring ability to:

• stand, walk, sit for extended periods of time
• speak and listen to others in person and over the phone
• use keyboard and read from computer screen and reports
• lift up to 15 lbs.

The anticipated salary range for this position is $56,600 – $84,800 depending on location, knowledge, skills, education and experience. This position is also eligible for an annual discretionary bonus. In addition, we offer comprehensive and competitive benefits to Associates (and their families) such as medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability. Eligible Associates are able to enroll in our company’s 401k plan. Associates will accrue paid time off up to 136 hours per year, including 16 hours of Floating Holidays and paid sick time up to 80 hours per year unless otherwise required by law. The Company observes 12.5 paid holidays.

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We're a 45 year-old, $6.5 billion national tool retailer with the energy, enthusiasm, and growth potential of a start-up. We have over 1,300 stores in 48 states across the country and are opening several new locations every week. We offer our customers more than 7,000 tools and accessories, from hand tools and generators to air and power tools, from shop equipment to automotive tools. We provide our customers with the right tool for the right job at the right price, always delivering quality and value.