Hiring For HR Shared Services - Time and absence - US Experience Must

Sutherland; Chennai District; On-site; INR 11,472,000 - 17,208,000; Full time

Job summary

Sutherland is seeking a highly skilled Time and Absence Management Process Lead with 5+ years of experience to lead our US Workday Time Tracking and Absence Management operations. You will act as the principal functional expert, ensuring our Workday configuration aligns with US labor laws, leave policies, and downstream payroll systems.

You will champion employee experience through Workday Help / Case Management and drive high-utility self-service solutions.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5+ years of hands-on Workday HCM experience focused on Time Tracking and Absence.
• Deep understanding of US labor laws and leave policies (FMLA, etc.).
• Experience configuring Workday time entry codes and accrual rules.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Bachelor’s degree in related field; excellent communication.

Responsibilities

• Tier-3 Escalations: Resolve complex employee tickets routed through Workday Help regarding missing accruals or denied time-off.
• Leave Navigator: Guide employees through complex leave journeys and tracking requirements.
• Manager Advisory: Help managers correct timesheets and approve retroactive leave.
• Dispute Resolution: Audit logs to resolve discrepancies between reported hours and payable time.
• Lead daily operations for US Time Tracking and Absence modules.
• Design and test US time-off plans, accrual rules, and eligibility criteria.

Skills

Workday HCM

Time Tracking

Absence Mgmt

US Market

Technical Proficiency

Analytical

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/IS/BA

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled Time and Absence Management Process Lead with a minimum of 5+ years of experience to lead our US Workday Time Tracking and Absence Management operations. In this role, you will act as the principal functional expert, ensuring our Workday configuration perfectly aligns with complex US labor laws, corporate leave policies, and downstream payroll systems. Beyond system governance, you will champion the employee experience by leveraging Workday Help / Case Management to resolve Tier 2, 3 quires and escalations, optimize HR knowledge bases, and drive high-utility self-service solutions. You will sit at the critical intersection of HR operational excellence, case management delivery, and technology optimization.

Key Responsibilities

• 1. Tier-3 Escalations: Resolve complex employee tickets routed through Workday Help regarding missing accruals, incorrect overtime payments, or denied time-off requests.
• 2. Leave Navigator: Assist employees navigating sensitive, complex leave journeys (e.g., parental, FMLA, disability) by explaining their Workday balances and tracking requirements.
• 3. Manager Advisory: Guide people managers through Workday Help cases on how to correct employee timesheets, override scheduling blocks, or approve retro-active leave.
• 4. Dispute Resolution: Audit system transactional logs to resolve discrepancies between employee-reported hours and Workday-calculated payable time.

Knowledge Management & Self-Service Optimization

• Knowledge Article Creation: Write and update clear, employee-facing help articles within the Workday
• Case Routing Automation: Define and optimize help case categories and automated routing rules to ensure employee inquiries instantly reach the correct HRO specialist.

Functional HRO Operational Execution

• Process Leadership: Lead daily operations for US Time Tracking and Absence modules, serving as the core subject matter expert (SME).
• Policy Configuration: Design, test, and maintain US time-off plans, accrual rules, eligibility criteria, and business processes.
• Time Card Auditing: Execute weekly compliance audits using Workday reports to catch unsubmitted hours, missing manager approvals, or unassigned shifts before payroll runs.
• Manual Adjustments: Process approved, exceptional balance overrides or manual entitlement grants for unique employee hiring agreements or legal settlements.
• Retro-Active Processing: Monitor and resolve system-generated retroactive adjustments caused by backdated employee job profile or compensation changes.
• System Integration: Partner with the payroll team to guarantee seamless integration between Workday Time/Absence entries and US payroll processing.
• Vendor Coordination: Sync Workday Absence data with third-party Short-Term Disability (STD) or Family Leave administrators to ensure policy alignment.

Continuous Process Improvement & Governance

• Release & Optimization: Analyze bi-annual Workday release features, leading the testing and adoption of new Time and Absence functionalities.
• Feedback Loop Analytics: Analyze Workday Help case trends and volume metrics to identify specific system configurations causing high employee confusion.
• Process Simplification: Redesign clunky Workday business processes (BPs) to reduce the number of clicks and approval steps required by employees and managers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: Minimum 5+ years of hands-on experience in Workday HCM, specifically focusing on Time Tracking and Absence Management.
• US Market Expertise: Deep operational understanding of US-specific HR practices, including FLSA rules, shift differentials, and state-mandated leaves (FMLA, statutory sick leaves).
• Technical Proficiency: Proven track record in configuring Workday time entry codes, calculation groups, accrual plans, and business processes.
• Problem Solving: Strong analytical skills with a demonstrated ability to troubleshoot complex configuration errors and data mismatches.
• Education: Bachelors degree in Human Resources, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills to collaborate effectively across HR, Payroll, and Legal teams