Abilities and Occupational Health Specialist

City of Guelph; Guelph; Hybrid; CAD 94,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking municipality as an Abilities and Occupational Health Specialist, where you will play a key role in managing disability claims and supporting employee wellness. This position offers a chance to work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure effective claims management and facilitate a smooth return-to-work process. With a commitment to inclusivity and community service, you will help implement best practices in disability management while enjoying competitive wages, comprehensive benefits, and a supportive work environment. If you're passionate about making a difference in the community, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Paid vacation days

Paid personal days

Hybrid work arrangements

Defined benefit pension plan

Extended health and dental benefits

Employee and Family Assistance Program

Parental leave top up program

Tuition assistance

Employee recognition programs

Qualifications

• Experience in disability claims management and occupational health.
• Knowledge of Ontario Human Rights Code and related legislation.

Responsibilities

• Manage short- and long-term disability and worker’s compensation claims.
• Develop and implement policies for disability management and employee wellness.

Skills

Disability Claims Management

Communication Skills

Organizational Skills

Problem Solving

Customer Service

Education

Post-secondary education in related field

Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Kronos

JD Edwards

Job description

Why Guelph

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What we offerWe offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:

• Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service• Paid personal days;• Hybrid and flexible work arrangements;• Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching;• Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account;• Employee and Family Assistance Program;• Parental leave top up program; • Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance• Employee recognition programs.

Position Overview

Resumes are being accepted for the position of Abilities and Occupational Health Specialist within the Human Resources department. Reporting to the Manager Employee Health, Safety and Wellness, the successful candidate will proactively manage and administer short term disability, long term disability and worker’s compensation claims; facilitate the return-to-work process. Guided by the goals and objectives of the City’s Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Vision for an inclusive, connected and prosperous city.

Key duties and responsibilities

Disability Claims Management

• Work collaboratively with stakeholders to effectively manage short- and long-term disability and worker’s compensation claims from the onset of disability, ensuring appropriate supporting documentation is maintained through the full cycle of the claim relating to claim adjudication decisions, medical information, physical and cognitive abilities, position requirements and early and safe return to work
• Communicate with all stakeholders to ensure all parties remain updated on status of claims
• Act as resource for leaders and employees relating to disability benefits, status of claim, need for additional support resources, modified duties and return to work, with a focus on effective case management processes and expectations
• Develop and implement new policies, processes and standard operating procedures with the goal of best practice disability management, attendance support and employee wellness programs
• Represent the City as required to respond to legal proceedings relating to case management, including case preparation and liaising with legal counsel
• Provide statistical information to assist in identifying trends and support opportunities for process efficiency and improvement
• Collaborate with others to facilitate the accommodation process to ensure employees contribute meaningful and productive work as the result of cooperative efforts between the employee, leader, union, insurance provider and medical practitioner, as required
• Monitor service delivery provided by insurance providers; identify and pursue areas of cost relief, reduction and/or recovery
• Enter and maintain data in the appropriate database(s) to ensure up to date financial / payroll information and ability to provide informative metrics for data-based decision making

Attendance Support

• Provide advice and support to leaders on the Attendance Support Program, ensuring continued absenteeism is addressed and improvements are acknowledged
• Prepare routine and ad hoc reports and analyze and monitor data on WSIB, short-term, long-term disability, absenteeism trends and forecasts
• Develop, implement and evaluate educational programs and training materials relating to wellness, attendance, return to work and duty to accommodate
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned

Qualifications and requirements

• Experience related to the duties above, acquired through completion of post-secondary education in a related field of study, and significant experience in disability claims management and occupational health
• Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP) specialist is an asset
• Thorough knowledge of the principles of disability management best practice; proven sensitive and confidential information privacy experience
• Experience working and managing claims within a unionized environment
• Knowledge and experience interpreting and applying legislation such as: Ontario Human Rights Code, Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, Occupational Health & Safety Act, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and other relevant legislation
• Ability to work well independently as well as collaboratively in a team with internal and external contacts
• Strong human relation skills and the ability to interact with employees in a multi-union and non-unionized environment
• Effective, professional communication skills
• Organizational and time management skills, as well as the ability to problem solve and ability to set and adjust priorities; Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment
• Proficient in computer applications (Microsoft Office; Kronos, JD Edwards)
• Exceptional customer service delivery skills

Hours of work35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Pay/SalaryNon-union Grade: 6: $94,319.68 – 117,899.60

How to applyQualified applicants are invited to apply using our online application system by May 8, 2025. Please note all applicants must complete the online questionnaire specific to this position at the time they submit their resume and cover letter in order to be considered.

Please visit the job posting listed on our City of Guelph careers page and click on the “Apply for this job” button. Instructions will follow.

The City of Guelph is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where employees feel welcome, valued and engaged. Our employment policies strictly prohibit all forms of discrimination on any of the grounds in relevant laws. All employment practices are solely based on individual merit, qualifications, and organization's needs at the time. In keeping with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, we are committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals in our job application procedures. If you need an accommodation in order to participate in the hiring process, you may contact us to make your needs known in advance.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely to determine eligibility for employment. We thank all candidates in advance; however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted.