Leave of Absence Specialist

About Melita

Melita is an HR, Benefits, and Payroll outsourcing company, serving and building lasting relationships with small and mid-sized employers in the U.S. and abroad. We were founded over 30 years ago on a simple principle: to help our clients succeed by innovating, serving, and supporting their Human Resources, Employee Benefits, and Payroll needs. As a results-driven organization, we hold ourselves accountable for our promises and we celebrate the successes of our clients.

Position Summary

The Leave of Absence Specialist position represents an opportunity to have a major impact on the success of our clients and their employees. One of the primary goals at Melita Group is to make our clients succeed, and this position plays a central role in delivering on that promise. We are seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented specialist to manage all aspects of leave administration for our clients, including FMLA, ADA, personal leave, and other company-specific leave policies. This role requires a thorough understanding of federal and state leave laws, excellent communication skills, and the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

Being passionate about helping others, caring about achieving high-level results, providing a high level of customer service, and continuous learning are qualities we cultivate at Melita Group, so if you possess these qualities, you will thrive in this position. Achieving excellence is a team effort, so working as part of a top-notch team of like-minded professionals is an important ingredient to succeeding here. If you are a positive person who loves helping others, takes pride in your work, and wants to work on a winning team, this may be the position for you.

Core Responsibilities

Leave Administration and Case Management

• Serve as the primary contact for clients, employees, managers, and benefits vendors on all leave policies and procedures, including but not limited to disability, FMLA, personal leave of absence, military leave, company leave benefits, and state-specific leave requirements.
• Intake client leave of absence requests, make leave designations, and recommend leave to client HR contacts and managers for review and approval, overseeing the process from the team member's initial notice of the need for leave through return-to-work status.
• Process requests for leave and disability benefits, create and maintain all leave-related communications, timelines, and necessary paperwork, and resolve routine claims issues with vendor partner input.
• Facilitate the client team member's departure and maintain communication with the client contact to ensure a smooth departure and timely return to work, relaying communication between team members, managers, and the client HR contact during leave.
• Address complex leave, disability or FML, and HRIS system issues.

Subject Matter Expertise and Guidance

• Provide subject matter expertise and education to clients, Melita HR team members, and employees on leave policies and procedures.

Coordination with Benefits and Payroll

• Work with the Benefits and Payroll teams to coordinate benefit and pay impact while an employee is on leave.

Records, Compliance, and Reporting

• Maintain complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements.
• Maintain the Leave of Absence technology tool, track data, and report on LOA metrics and trends.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 3 to 5 years of experience in leave administration or a related HR function, preferably in a large organization.
• In-depth knowledge of federal and state leave laws, including FMLA, ADA, and other relevant regulations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex policies and regulations.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to effectively interact with employees at all levels of the organization.
• A high level of discretion and confidentiality when handling sensitive employee information.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Proficiency in HRIS systems and leave management software.
• Certification in HR or leave management (for example PHR, SHRM-CP, or Certified Leave Management Specialist).

What Success Looks Like

• Employees on leave feel supported and informed, transitions into and out of leave are smooth, and return-to-work happens on time.
• Clients trust Melita to administer leave accurately and compliantly, and leave designations, paperwork, and records hold up to legal and audit scrutiny.
• Benefit and pay impacts are coordinated cleanly with the Benefits and Payroll teams, and LOA metrics and trends are tracked and surfaced to help clients make better decisions.