Leave & Employee Relations Senior Consultant

01460 Continental Casualty Company; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 72,000 - 141,000; Full time

Job summary

CNA is seeking an experienced Leave & Employee Relations Senior Consultant to oversee complex leave and accommodation cases, providing expert guidance on FMLA, ADA, and related regulations. You will partner with HR, business leaders, and the Leave Administration team to ensure compliant, equitable outcomes.

The role emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, process improvement, and leadership coaching within the Employee Relations function.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Typically 5+ years of experience in leave administration or employee relations.
• Experience handling complex leave and accommodation cases.
• Experience working with Employee Relations or similar support functions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an escalation point for complex, sensitive, or lengthy leave and accommodation matters where risk exists.
• Provide guidance on interpretation and application of federal, state, and local regulations (FMLA, ADA, USERRA, PDA) and company policies.
• Develop defensible, compliant case strategies across leave programs.
• Act as trusted advisor to HR Partners and leaders on complex issues.
• Lead implementation, upgrades, and maintenance of leave management platforms.

Skills

Leave administration

Regulatory compliance

Interpersonal communication

Stakeholder influence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related discipline

Job description

JOB DESCRIPTION:

You have a clear vision of where your career can go. And we have the leadership to help you get there. At CNA, we strive to create a culture in which people know they matter and are part of something important, ensuring the abilities of all employees are used to their fullest potential.

The Leave & Employee Relations Senior Consultant operates within the Employee Relations function and serves as a subject matter expert in leave administration. This role provides advanced consultation and oversight for complex and high-risk leave and accommodation cases, while working cross-functionally with the Leave Administration team and partnering with HR Business Partners, and business leaders. In addition to core leave responsibilities, this role may support broader employee relations related matters and contribute to cross-functional initiatives, based on business needs and priorities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as an escalation point for the strategic resolution of complex, sensitive, or lengthy leave and accommodation matters where legal and/or compliance risk exists.
• Provide guidance on the interpretation and application of federal, state, and local regulations (FMLA, ADA, USERRA, PDA) and company policies.
• Apply deep knowledge of the leaves and accommodations landscape to develop defensible, compliant case strategies.
• Act as a trusted advisor to HR Business Partners and business leaders on complex leave and accommodation issues.
• Provide consultative guidance that supports business continuity while ensuring compliant and equitable outcomes.
• Influence decision-making by translating regulatory requirements into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and guidance to Leave Specialists to support development and consistency.
• Identify trends, risks, and process gaps in order to recommend and lead the execution of improvements to the leave and accommodation process in collaboration with the HR Shared Services team.
• Develop SLAs, support files reviews, and conduct audits to leaves and accommodations matters to ensure compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Lead, in collaboration with HR Shared Services, the implementation, upgrades, and maintenance of the leave management platform and other systems of record.
• Liaison strategically between the company and leave related third party vendors.
• Foster partnership, resolve disputes, develop KPIs, and conduct regular audits to ensure suppliers deliver on SLA.
• Serve as a flexible resource for the Employee Relations team to support team capacity on select ER matters based on business needs and priorities.
• May perform additional duties as assigned.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Advanced knowledge of leave administration programs (STD, FMLA, PFL, LOA, LTD).
• Deep understanding of federal and state leave laws and ADA requirements.
• Working knowledge of employee relations principles, with the ability to contribute to the assessment and resolution of sensitive employment matters.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust with leadership, HR partners, and employees at all levels.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and make sound decisions quickly and reliably, including in ambiguous, complex, and high-sensitivity situations.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to manage and resolve complex, sensitive situations while providing balanced, practical solutions.
• Strong time management and organizational skills with keen attention to detail.

Education & Experience

Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline or equivalent experience. Typically 5+ years of experience in leave administration or employee relations. Experience handling complex leave and accommodation cases required. Experience working within or closely partnering with Employee Relations or similar employee support functions preferred. #LI-MR1 #LI-Hybrid

In certain jurisdictions, CNA is legally required to include a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. In District of Columbia, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Washington, the national base pay range for this job level is $72,000 to $141,000 annually. Salary determinations are based on various factors, including but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location.

CNA offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to help our employees – and their family members – achieve their physical, financial, emotional and social wellbeing goals. For a detailed look at CNA’s benefits, please visit cnabenefits.com.

CNA utilizes AI-enabled technology during the recruiting process. For more information, please visit our careers page.

CNA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact [e-mail]

At CNA, we are focused on success, individually and collectively. We pride ourselves on promoting a culture that challenges and engages people. We strive to connect people, departments and business areas, to function as a team, and to serve our customers and communities with professionalism and respect. Our dedication to employee engagement, continuous learning and the open exchange of ideas is the cornerstone of our business. These ideals, combined with our focus on the customer, enable us to explore new market opportunities and build on our success. Our values, culture and financial strength are what differentiates us from other employers and make CNA the place you want to work. At CNA, we are committed to advancing a culture of inclusion – one that attracts talent from all walks of life, foster respect and collaboration, and enables all of our colleagues to do their best work. At CNA, we have a long standing commitment to the diverse communities in which we live and work. We actively make a difference for the greater good through partnerships, sustainability, initiatives, and working together for a better tomorrow. Corporate Social Responsibility is not one person, or one department, it's the entire enterprise coming together to make the world a better place.