Leave Administrator

Hennepin County; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Referral bonus

Job summary

Hennepin County is seeking a Leave of Absence Administrator in the Human Resources department to support employees and leaders through medical, family, and other leaves. The role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws while delivering a positive, empathetic employee experience.

Ideal candidates have prior leave and disability administration experience, strong attention to detail, and the ability to identify trends and escalate issues appropriately.

Qualifications

• Two years of college coursework with 12+ credits in HR or related field and 4 years of HR experience.
• HR certificate from a college or university with 4 years of HR experience.
• Bachelor's degree in business, industrial relations, HR administration, public administration, psychology, or related field with 2 years of HR experience.
• Experience can substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Process, review, and manage standard and complex leave requests with audit reporting.
• Administer and ensure compliance with federal, state, and County leave policies (FMLA, MNPL, ESST, etc.).
• Explain and manage timecard coding to employees and supervisors during leave.
• Maintain leave records in the HRIS and ensure balance accuracy.
• Support disability claim filing and respond to disability questions.
• Coordinate with stakeholders to ensure timely payments to employees.
• Process return-to-work requests and answer questions about leaves.
• Represent LAM in training sessions and help with process improvement.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Attention to detail

Problem solving

Time management

Education

Two years college coursework with HR credits

HR certificate

Bachelor's degree in related field

Experience substituted for education

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

PowerPoint

PeopleSoft

Job description

The Human Resources (HR) department is seeking a detail-oriented and customer-focused Leave of Absence Administrator to support employees and leaders throughout the leave of absence process. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws and County policies while delivering a positive, empathetic experience for employees navigating medical, family, and other job-protected leave needs.

Ideal candidates will have former leave and disability administration, attention to detail, ability to recognize trends and identify and appropriately escalating challenges.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit employee referral program.

Location and hours:

This position is hybrid and work will be performed on-site at least two to three days per week at 625 South 4th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55487. Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with flexibility.

While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin. New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis. Details about NEO will be provided upon hire.

About this position type:

This position is a full-time, benefit earning position. This position is internally classified as a Human Resources Representative, Intermediate.

In this position, you will:

• Process, review, track, evaluate, update, manage audit and report on standard and complex leave requests, and ensure timely and accurate leave approvals and pay (case management).
• Administer, process, and ensure compliance with various federal, state, and County leave policies including but not limited to sick leave, vacation, PTO, Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST), Minnesota Paid Leave (MNPL), supplemental pay, military leave, and FMLA.
• Review leave requests, including determining eligibility, classifying leave type, reviewing all forms for completeness and accuracy, and when necessary, collecting additional information from employees, supervisors, or health care providers.
• Explain, review, and manage timecard coding to employees and supervisors during leave.
• Maintain accurate records of leave usage and balances in the HRIS and ensure timecard accuracy.
• Provide and explain the short-term disability claim filing process during leave; complete short-term and long-term disability employer statement; assist and field escalated disability questions and concerns.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure timely and accurate payments to employees.
• Process the employee’s return to work request at the conclusion of their approved leave period; answer questions from employees and leaders on the employee’s return to work.
• Respond to employee and leader questions or concerns about leaves and communicate the leave process to individuals and groups.
• Represent the Leave and Accommodation Management (LAM) in training sessions.
• Coordinate with Workers' Compensation and managers to facilitate light-duty assignments and return-to-work strategies.
• Maintain a strong on-site presence to facilitate collaboration, enhance communication, and drive process improvement.

Need to have:

• One of the following:
  • Two years of college coursework, including 12 or more credits in the fields below and four years of professional human resources or related experience.
  • Certificate in human resources from an approved college or university and four years of professional human resources or related experience.
  • Bachelor's degree in business administration, industrial relations, human resources administration, public administration, psychology, or a field closely related to the position and two years of professional human resources or related experience.
  • Note: Experience can be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis.

Nice to have:

• Experience:
  • Administering full-cycle leave administration and return-to-work coordination.
  • With short-term and long‑term disability benefits.
  • Working with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), MN Paid Family Medical Leave (MNPL), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Protected Health Information (PHI), Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), and/or other Minnesota relevant laws.
  • Using Microsoft Office (e.g. Word,Excel, Outlookand PowerPoint) and PeopleSoft with advanced skills.
  • Providing excellent customer service.
• Ability:
  • Conduct oneself professionally and handle sensitive/difficult issues in a clear and tactful manner, particularly issues of a confidential nature.
  • Communicate clearly and concisely, both verbally and written.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
  • Handle multiple complex tasks while recognizing priorities and meeting deadlines, with attention to detail, and good organizational skills.
  • Maintain, update, and protect confidential information.
  • Think critically, analyze information, and solve problems; exercise good judgment in arriving at decisions.

These positions are performed primarily in a standard office setting with or without reasonable accommodation, including:

• Spending extended periods sitting at a desk using a computer, keyboard, and mouse.
• Standing, walking, or moving between meeting rooms and shared office areas.
• Lifting or carrying office materials, typically up to 10-20 pounds.
• Repetitive motions associated with typing, writing, and operating office equipment.
• Navigating typical office conditions, including shared spaces, moderate noise levels, and regular foot traffic.
• Using standard office equipment such as computers, scanners, printers, copiers, and monitors.

About the department:

In Human Resources, we make it our mission to provide an employee experience that attracts and retains the best talent to serve our residents. HR programs and services are instrumental in realizing the county’s stated organizational value: "Continuous development and engagement of our workforce to reflect innovation, creativity, and diversity in planning for the future".

About Hennepin County:

Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive.

Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).

Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the elimination of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community.

Your future. Made here.

This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience. Final candidates will be required to complete a background check.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Toufue Vue

[e-mail]