Coordinator, Benefits

panerabread; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 53,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Panera Bread is seeking a Coordinator, Benefits to handle LOA administration and related HR processes at the Saint Louis Support Center. You will work with Workday and AbsenceTracker to ensure compliant handling of leave requests, billing, and communications.

The role requires at least two years of LOA experience, a bachelor’s degree preferred, and strong knowledge of FMLA/ADA regulations. Office-based role with standard business hours and occasional cross-team coordination.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• At least 2 years of leave of absence administration experience required.
• Working knowledge of federal and state laws & regulations related to HR and Absence Management.

Responsibilities

• Daily processing of LOA requests/returns with full regulatory compliance.
• Maintain complete and accurate case files using Workday and AbsenceTracker.
• Answer questions from team members, managers, HR, and state agencies.
• Facilitate return-to-work approvals and accommodations as needed.
• Manage billing for LOA, including payroll reconciliation and deduction changes.
• Review claims and communicate with team members, managers and HR during LOA lifecycle.
• Process intermittent FMLA claims and track entitlement.
• Coordinate with third-party disability vendor for claims support.
• Collaborate with Workers' Comp team on leaves due to work-related incidents.
• Submit employer statements for State Disability applications and respond to inquiries.
• Handle LOA-related inquiries via calls and emails.

Skills

HR laws & regulations

Workday

AbsenceManagement

Excel

Communication

Organization & prioritization

Data privacy/confidentiality

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Workday

AbsenceSoft

Excel

Word

Teams

Outlook

Job description

Coordinator, Benefits

Job Purpose

The Coordinator, Benefits is responsible for providing administrative and clerical support related to day-to-day administration, documentation, communication and compliance with the company's benefit and Leave of Absence processes.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Daily processing of all aspects of leave of absence requests/returns for Panera team members, ensuring full compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Utilize Workday operating system and AbsenceTracker software to maintain complete and accurate case files for team members on leave of absence.
• Answer questions from team members, managers, HR Team Members and state agencies.
• Facilitate return to work approval process, including clarification of any restrictions and if they can be accommodated.
• Manage billing process for team members on leave of absence, including payroll reconciliation and coordination for any deduction changes needed
• Review of all claims, creating and issuing ongoing communication to team members, managers, and HR Managers as required throughout the life of the leave of absence.
• Intermittent FMLA claim processing and tracking against FMLA entitlement.
• Provide employment information to 3rd party disability vendor to support claims administration.
• Monitor and coordinate with internal Worker's Comp Team regarding leaves of absence due to a work-related injury/illness.
• Complete and submit employer statement for State Disability applications timely and accurately; respond to State Disability application inquiries.
• Receive and respond to incoming phone calls and emails from team members regarding their LOA.
• Attend and contribute to meetings with team members, company departments and/or external vendors.
• Ensure confidentiality and security of employee data.
• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Qualifications (Education & Experience)

Bachelor's degree from accredited college or technical school preferred.

At least two years of leave of absence administration experience required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES which may be representative but not all inclusive of those commonly associated with this position.

• Working knowledge of federal and state laws & regulations related to the Human Resources profession and Absence Management. (DOL, HIPAA, PHI, FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, PWFA, etc.).
• Ability to apply good judgment, define problems and identify resolutions.
• Ability to balance, organize and prioritize multiple tasks while being flexible with daily workflows.
• Detail oriented, with ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.
• Experience in Workday operating system.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel, including data manipulation, summarization and formatting.
• Skilled in various Microsoft Office products, including Excel, Word, Teams and Outlook.
• AbsenceSoft software experience preferred.
• Ability to deliver exceptional customer service, communicating in a clear, convincing, articulate and well-organized manner.
• Proactively seek professional growth opportunities.

Working Conditions

Exposed to moderate noise levels in cubicle office environment.

Working from the office is required 4 days per week.

Office environment with regular business hours. Some flexibility in hours is allowed, but the employee must be available during the "core" work hours.

Required travel - none.

Physical Requirements

While performing this job, the incumbent is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear & use hands and fingers to operate keyboards and other general office equipment.

Regular sitting, reaching with hands/arms and repetitive wrist, hand and/or finger movement.

Frequent talking and hearing.

Clarity of vision at 20 inches or less.

Normal attention.

Direct Reports

This position has no direct reports but may occasionally train other team members on various processes.

Competitive salary $53,419 - $64,103.

The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate's relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

Saint Louis Support Center