Leave of Absence Analyst – Regulatory & Appeals

Sysco; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sysco in Houston's Global Support Center is seeking a Leave of Absence Analyst – Regulatory & Appeals SME to administer complex LOA requests across the U.S. You will review, escalate, and resolve leave matters with close collaboration with HR, Payroll, Legal, and Benefits.

The role requires deep knowledge of FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, and applicable state laws, plus strong analytical and communication skills to provide compliant, well-reasoned guidance and reporting to leadership.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive LOA administration and HR compliance experience.
• Hands-on FMLA and ADA/ADAAA experience in real cases.
• Knowledge of federal/state leave requirements and their practical use.
• Experience reviewing complex leaves, escalations, and return-to-work.
• Ability to analyze complex facts and form well-supported conclusions.
• Ability to translate regulations into practical guidance.
• Understanding of how FMLA/ADA interacts with policies and benefits.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with HRIS and leave management systems.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Review corporate leave requests for eligibility and accurate processing with HR as primary contact.
• Coordinate with leave administration vendor and update internal systems.
• Collaborate with Payroll on time tracking and compensation during leaves.
• Ensure compliance with FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, and related laws.
• Provide regular reporting to HR and management.
• Serve as SME on leave regulations and translate requirements for teams.
• Review complex LOA cases including escalations and appeals.
• Work with Legal, Employee Relations, and Benefits on high-risk cases.
• Identify trends and assist with audits and inquiries.
• Support LOA team as escalation resource and develop resources.

Skills

LOA administration

HR compliance

FMLA knowledge

ADA/ADAAA knowledge

Regulatory interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, Labor Relations, or related field

Tools

Workday

HRIS

Leave management systems

Job description

Our Global Support Center/ Corporate Office is in the Energy Corridor- off I10 and N Eldridge.

Address: 1390 Enclave Pkwy, Houston, TX 77077

This is a hybrid position requiring an on-site presence 3 to 4 days per week. Please note that the number of days on-site can increase based on business needs.

Job Summary

The Leave of Absence (LOA) Analyst – Regulatory & Appeals Subject Matter Expert (SME) serves as a key subject matter expert within the Leave of Absence Center of Excellence, providing advanced expertise and practical application of federal and state leave and accommodation requirements. This role is responsible for administering fully cycle leave requests for all corporate (GSC) assigned colleagues who are based throughout the U.S. This role will support the team by reviewing complex leave requests and claims, evaluating escalations and appeals, interpreting applicable regulations and company policies, and providing well-reasoned recommendations to ensure consistent, compliant, and equitable leave administration.

Key Responsibilities

Leave Administration

• Review and support all corporate leave requests for eligibility and accurate processing. Work directly with the colleague and HR as the main POC throughout a leave of absence.
• Communicate with leave administration vendor as necessary to ensure smooth processing of internal systems, regulatory updates for system enhancements, accuracy and claim support.
• Partner and communicate with HR regarding LOA related claims and payments including coordinating and applying time o for a colleague throughout their leave of absence period.
• Collaborate with Payroll to ensure proper coding, time tracking, and compensation is applied for colleagues during leave.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, and company-specific policies.
• Provide reporting to HR and management as needed.

Regulatory Subject Matter Expertise

• Serve as a trusted SME on FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, and applicable federal and state statutory leave requirements.
• Interpret regulatory requirements and translate them into practical guidance for LOA Analysts, Field HR, and business leaders.
• Maintain working knowledge of evolving federal and state leave legislation and regulatory guidance.
• Review complex and sensitive LOA cases involving FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, statutory leaves, company leave policies and overlapping leave requirements.

Escalations & Appeals

• Serve as a primary reviewer for complex LOA escalations, disputed determinations, employee concerns, and appeals.
• Develop clear recommendations for resolution and communicate the rationale to appropriate stakeholders.
• Partner with Legal, Employee Relations, Field HR, Benefits, and other functions on high-risk or highly sensitive cases.

Quality & Compliance Review

• Identify trends, control gaps, and opportunities to improve case handling.
• Assist with internal audits, regulatory inquiries, and documentation requests as needed.

LOA Team SME Support

• Serve as an escalation resource when analysts encounter unusual, high-risk, or diicult-to-interpret situations.
• Support the development of resources as needed.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Legal, Employee Relations, Field HR, Benefits, Payroll, HRIS, Total Rewards, Occupational Health, Risk Management, and other stakeholders on complex LOA matters.
• Support communication and training initiatives to improve understanding and consistent application of LOA requirements.

Reporting & Trend Analysis

• Provide insights and recommendations to LOA leadership regarding compliance risks, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive experience in Leave of Absence administration, HR compliance, disability/absence management, employee relations, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated hands-on expertise administering and applying FMLA and ADA/ADAAA requirements in actual employee cases.
• Strong working knowledge of federal and state statutory leave requirements and their practical application.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing complex leave cases, escalations, appeals, medical documentation, intermittent leave, extensions, and return-towork situations.
• Ability to independently analyze complex facts and documentation and reach well-supported conclusions.
• Demonstrated experience interpreting regulations and translating them into practical operational guidance.
• Strong understanding of the interaction between FMLA, ADA/ADAAA, statutoryl eaves, company policies, and other benefit programs.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain complex regulatory concepts to non-technical audiences.
• Experience working with HRIS and/or leave management systems.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred

• Experience supporting a large, complex, multi-state employer.
• Experience working in a centralized LOA Center of Excellence or similar operating model.
• Experience reviewing third-party leave administrator determinations.
• Experience with LOA appeals, quality audits, compliance reviews, or regulatory audits.
• Experience with Workday
• Familiarity with leave management software
• Experience supporting unionized or highly regulated employee populations.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business, Labor Relations, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Professional certification such as DMEC, SHRM-CP/SCP, PHR/SPHR, or related leave/disability certification.

BENEFITS INFORMATION

For information on Sysco’s Benefits, please visit https://SyscoBenefits.com

OVERVIEW

Sysco is the global leader in foodservice distribution. With over 71,000 colleagues and a fleet of over 13,000 vehicles, Sysco operates approximately 333 distribution facilities worldwide and serves more than 700,000 customer locations.

We offer our colleagues the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, to contribute to the success of a dynamic organization, and to serve others in a manner that exceeds their expectations. We’re looking for talented, hard-working individuals to join our team. Come grow with us and let us show you why Sysco is at the heart of food and service.

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION STATEMENT

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States.

We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity and affirmative Action employer, and consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status or any other protected factor under federal, state or local law.

This opportunity is available through Sysco Corporation, its subsidiaries and affiliates.