Benefits Consultant Jobs in Vermont

INTRODUCTION

The Burlington School District believes a diverse and culturally proficient faculty and staff are pivotal to the creation of a strong learning and working environment that supports student achievement and success. BSD administrators lead inclusive school communities with our vision: "Cultivating caring, creative, and courageous people. - Join the journey.”

The Mission of the Burlington School District is to graduate students who:

• Value different cultures;
• Engage with the community;
• Communicate effectively;
• Think creatively;
• Skillfully solve problems; and
• Achieve at their highest academic, intellectual and personal potential.

Burlington School District is seeking a passionate and energetic Benefits and Leave Specialist. The Benefits and Leave Specialist plays a key role in administering an organization's employee benefit programs and managing leave-of-absence processes. They serve as the primary HR liaison, guiding employees through health insurance, retirement plans, and complex leave regulations (e.g., FMLA, ADA, and state programs).

The specialist works alongside other Human Resource, Payroll staff, Business office, and district, departmental, and school-based leaders. The position assists in maintaining a professional, friendly, positive and respectful work atmosphere by approaching internal and external interactions and collaborations with a strong customer service orientation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Overall benefits Administration

• Manage enrollments, changes, and cancellations for newly hired, newly eligible, employees with qualifying events/changes, and at time of separation.
• Review benefits eligibility, plan information, plan costs, and enrollment forms with employees, as applicable, ensuring timely completion as required by law, plan documents and district procedures.
• Manage enrollment or cancellation of coverage process with benefit carriers, ensuring timely notification of coverage changes.
• Update Payroll system with benefit elections and ensure paperwork and forms are filed in employee files in a timely manner.
• Enter, or collaborate with the payroll team to enter, benefit deduction amounts in the Payroll system, ensuring information is shared in a timely manner so payroll deductions and reporting is accurate.
• Manage cash-in-lieu benefit.
• Manage eligibility, annual election and termination of election, ensuring complete and accurate documentation is on file for employees receiving benefits.
• Maintain list of elections and benefit amounts, prorate benefit amount as necessary for separations or changes in eligibility, provide information to payroll for processing and timely payment.
• Manage annual open enrollment process.
• Serve as primary contact with insurance carriers and vendors.
• Collaborating to develop and distribute communication materials to help inform employees of their benefits.
• Work with vendors to create and distribute information related to benefit offerings, including required notices.
• Coordinate employee informational meetings with benefit carriers/vendors as necessary.
• Reconcile monthly enrollments and carrier charges for all plans, follow up on any inconsistencies, and correct errors or discrepancies.
• Process, balance, create and maintain purchase orders in order to pay carrier invoices.

Employment Separations/COBRA

• Manage and track COBRA participants through our partnership with Benealliance.

Benefit Compliance

• Distribute required notices to employees (Medicare Part D, Special Enrollment, Open Enrollment, etc.) as required by law and district practices.
• Healthcare Declarations (VT Form HC-2)
• Manage collection of form at hire, enrollment change, and/or annually for all employees.
• Update the HR System to reflect form responses in a timely manner, when changes occur and at time of annual collection.
• Create/update forms and instructions as necessary.
• Maintain all Section 125 and Cafeteria Plan Documents and SPDs.
• Work with carriers to create/update and maintain plan documents for each plan (cash-in-lieu, premium conversion, HRA, FSA, HSA).
• Maintain the most current version of each Plan Document.
• Review the Summary Plan Description for accuracy.
• Maintain most recent SPD on website and distribute as required.
• Create and maintain practices and systems, ensuring compliance with Plan Documents.

Leave of Absence Requests

• Administer FMLA/VTPFL ensuring compliance with federal and state law, master agreements and BSD operating practices.
• Update standard medical leave notices and forms in coordination with the Director of HR.
• Request, collect, track and process Medical Certification; request clarification, more information or recertification as necessary.
• Request, collect, track and process Fitness for Duty; request clarification, more information or recertification as necessary.
• Determine appropriate paid and unpaid leave use for the duration of an approved leave in compliance with the applicable CBA/contract, and federal and state law.
• Serve as primary liaison with employees, school office assistants, supervisors and payroll team relative to employee medical leaves, ensuring timely communication and a high level of customer service.
• Communicate status of employee medical leaves regularly with supervisors so proper coverage can be obtained.
• Ensure leave information is shared in a timely and efficient manner with payroll and other HR team members as necessary to maintain accurate pay, benefits and other applicable employment details.
• Create processes and conduct training as necessary to ensure proper and timely notification and implementation of medical leaves.

ADA Accommodations

• Distribute and collect requests for accommodation and associated required medical certification.
• Work with supervisors to discuss accommodations being requested to make sure they are reasonable under ADA, and to ensure the employee can still complete the essential functions of the job with the noted limitations.
• Schedule meeting with employee (and supervisor) as necessary to better understand requests.
• Communicate status of ADA request to employee in a timely manner.
• Maintain ADA request files.

Workers Compensation

• Manage workers compensation program.
• Serve as primary liaison with WC carrier, injured employees, administrative assistants and supervisors relative to claims.
• Submit First Reports of Injury to WC carrier.
• Follow up with injured employee as needed.
• Update workers comp carrier of any change in status (e.g., lost time, medical treatment, return to work).
• Send notices to employees as appropriate.
• Request Supplemental Reports as necessary.
• Request and obtain Fitness-for-Duty and medical certifications from employees to support any need for leave and/or return to work.
• Maintain OSHA log.
• Conduct training as necessary to ensure proper and timely implementation of workers comp claims.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Reports to, supervised, evaluated and receives assignments and direction from the Director of Human Resources. May receive assignments outside the scope of this position.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsible for training and assisting coworkers in areas of knowledge, training and/or sharing expertise to ensure a smooth transition of duties and to provide effective backup.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• Minimum Required: Bachelors, or 3 years previous Human Resources/ Benefits/ Leave administration experience.
• Certification Preferred: SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) or SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

Experience:

• Minimum Required: A minimum of two (2) years of benefit/ leave/ human resource experience. A strong knowledge of benefit related compliance and regulatory requirements necessary. Experience in a school setting is desired but not required.