Coordinator, Benefits

Panera LLC; United States; On-site; USD 53,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Panera LLC in Saint Louis supports a benefits coordination role to administer leaves of absence, ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, and maintain accurate case files in Workday and AbsenceTracker. The coordinator answers questions from team members, managers, HR, and agencies while facilitating return-to-work accommodations.

The role emphasizes confidentiality, customer service, and collaboration with the HR team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• At least two years of LOA administration experience required.
• Working knowledge of federal and state leave laws/regulations.

Responsibilities

• Process LOA requests/returns in compliance with laws.
• Maintain case files in Workday and AbsenceTracker.
• Answer inquiries from team members, managers, HR, and agencies.
• Coordinate return-to-work and accommodations as needed.
• Manage billing and payroll reconciliation for LOA.
• Provide information to 3rd party disability vendor as needed.
• Maintain confidentiality of employee data.

Skills

Laws & regulations knowledge

Absence Management

Workday

AbsenceTracker

Excel

Office productivity

Communication

Confidential data handling

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday

AbsenceTracker

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

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

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

With more than 2,000 Panera LLC and independent franchise bakery‑cafes in the Panera Bread family, and more locations opening all the time, it’s no wonder our company has been an excellent source of career and personal growth opportunities for more than 25 years. In neighborhoods across the U.S. and Canada, customers enjoy flavorful, handcrafted meals centered around freshly baked artisan bread. To us, that means serving food like we serve our own families – free of any of the items on our ‘No No’ List. Along the way, we also like to give back to our community. We enjoy working together, shoulder to shoulder with our customers, to confront a serious problem plaguing communities across this country – Hunger. Through our Panera Cares community cafes, we offer a dignified dining experience in an uplifting environment. In addition, we support our communities through day‑end donations at our bakery‑cafe locations and partner with local non‑profit organizations. It’s this warmth that you’ll find when you join Panera Bread. From our competitive compensation and benefits packages to our unique cultural values, we’re confident you’ll find us a rewarding and fun place to work.