Total Absence Management Analyst I

City of Norfolk; Norfolk (VA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Norfolk seeks a Total Absence Management Analyst to oversee disability and leave cases and act as the SME for HR, managers, and key stakeholders.

Requires four years of college and two years in absence management with strong analytic and reporting skills. Location: 800 East City Hall Ave, Norfolk, VA; 40-hour workweek with growth opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum two years in Human Resources with focus on absence management? (as described in the posting).
• Experience delivering disability and absence management initiatives and program compliance.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Ensure program compliance with ADA, FMLA, and related regulations.
• Manage Workers’ Compensation self-funded program and vendor relations.
• Coordinate FMLA claims and return-to-work processes.
• Develop trainings to communicate absence, safety, and disability programs.
• Maintain program policies on intranet and ensure accurate documentation.

Skills

Absence management

Disability management

Data reporting

PeopleSoft

Communication

Analytical thinking

Confidentiality

Vendor management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

PeopleSoft

Job description

Norfolk, Virginia is America's most authentic and urban waterfront city. Home to the world's largest naval station and the business, arts, and cultural center of Coastal Virginia, Norfolk has been rated a top place to live, work, play, and raise a family by numerous publications.

In support of over 225,000 residents, regional neighbors, and visitors from all over the world, the City of Norfolk employs over five thousand hard‑working, agile, and accountable individuals who each play a vital role in making Norfolk the unique and authentic city of the future that its citizens deserve and demand.

Diverse. Agile. Accountable. The City of Norfolk is building a best‑in‑class case management program to deliver absence & disability management services to our employees. Norfolk’s Human Resources Team has an immediate opening for a dynamic Total Absence Management Analyst to manage a large volume of disability and leave cases of varying types and complexity and who will serve as the Subject Matter Expert (SME) providing guidance and expertise to the HR team, employees, managers, and other key business stakeholders in Federal, State, local and the City's leave, salary continuation, disability, Worker's Compensation, Transitional Return‑to‑Work and Job Accommodation policies and programs. In addition, the Human Resources Analyst is the first point of contact for all escalated cases and works to resolve identified issues and gaps; leads and conducts quality assurance and audit control activities to ensure program and regulatory compliance; and is responsible for all data reporting and analytics across the various leave and disability benefit lines.

For employees, the Total Absence Management Analyst team serves as the face of Human Resources and is expected to embody the City's core values of accountability, integrity, innovation, and respect. This position offers unlimited potential for professional and career advancement for the successful candidate who demonstrates outstanding attention to detail and organizational skill, significant experience in all aspects of absence management, as well as vendor management of the City’s self‑funded workers compensation and disability management vendors. The analyst is expected to perform with a high degree of confidentiality and enthusiasm for public service in a demanding, strategic and supportive Human Resources environment in which the analyst will need to balance the priorities of both employees and the City.

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

1. Ensure program compliance with all pertinent government regulations including:
   • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
   • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
   • State of Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act
   • Pregnant Workers’ Fairness Act
   • PUMP Act
   • Norfolk City Code
2. Manage the City's Workers’ Compensation self‑funded program including accessing the Workers' Compensation carrier system, verifying claim information, reviewing notes and communication with adjusters, ensuring that all required regulatory filings are completed in a timely and accurate manner and ensuring that robust vendor management accountability is monitored and pursued.
3. Manage ADA requests through an interactive process between departments and employees and ensure that all decision making is well documented and made in accordance with ADA regulations and accommodation protocols. Identify, review, and recommend specific actions in cases involving ADA accommodation requests.
4. Facilitate efficient program administration and best practices related to absence management and return to work. Serves in a consultancy role in the design and development of new program features and industry standard solutions to enhance absence management program services and performance.
5. Participate in keeping updated all Safety and Total Absence Management programs, policies, and procedures on the city intranet, TeamNorfolk.org
6. Represent the City during grievance hearings, accident review hearings, administrative hearings, case review meetings and other highly visible meetings as needed.
7. Identify strategies and resources to facilitate the best response for disability issues. Facilitate discussion and problem solving with internal and external clients for resolution to ensure disability leaves are effectively managed through the entire process.
8. Become proficient in utilizing the PeopleSoft system to verify employment, salaries and personal employee information.
9. Coordinate FMLA claims for City employees including reviewing completed forms, obtaining clarification of information as necessary, and ensuring that designations are in compliance with FMLA, clearly tracked, documented, and communicated to employees and departments.
10. Schedule and coordinate fitness for duty appointments as appropriate.
11. Coordinate the various City and VLDP short‑term disability, long‑term disability and sick leave bank policies and programs. Manage the vendors for accurate and thorough claims administration and excellent customer service.
12. Develop presentations and trainings to communicate absence, safety, and disability management programs and provide guidance to internal and external customers.
13. Manage disability cases through a variety of policies and procedures specific to both occupational and non‑occupational disability.
14. Work in partnership with Manager, Office of City Attorney, Recruiting, and Employee Relations to deliver, monitor and coordinate Job Action Letters (JAL) issued in accordance with FMLA, ADA, City policies, and ordinances. Serve as the JAL central point of contact for both departments and employees.
15. Provide technical reports and statistical analysis of data. Adhere to division protocols for documenting activity on department tracking methodologies.
16. Conduct quality assurance and audit control activities across all safety, leave and disability service lines to ensure program and regulatory compliance.

Work requires broad knowledge in a general professional or technical field. Knowledge is normally acquired through four years of college resulting in a Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

One year of experience in Human Resources; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

A minimum of two years experience in Human Resources with a focus on absence management and disability; or an equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS AND CORE COMPETENCIES

• Experience in Human Resources with a focus on total absence management, disability, and workers’ compensation administration
• Clear understanding of STD/LTD, FMLA, ADA, workers’ compensation, compliance and processing, workplace absence policies and management.
• Strong analytical skills, sense of ownership and appreciation for the need for confidentiality.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; basic (or better) accounting skills; skills in developing policies and procedures
• Strong experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, and Outlook).
• Experience creating and working with spreadsheets and reports.

DISABILITY MANAGEMENT EXPERIENCE: Demonstrated experience delivering disability and absence management initiatives. Experience ensuring program compliance with all government regulations, including ADA, Workers' Compensation, FMLA, Drug Free Workplace, and other pertinent employment laws and procedures.

COMMUNICATION: Outstanding skills in both spoken and written communications including the use of excellent grammar. Demonstrated ability to develop presentations and to engage in active listening. Excellent skills at engaging audiences, explaining complex processes, and demonstrating communication skills.

COLLABORATION: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with others, establish and maintain strong working relationships throughout the organization and within in the team. Ability to communicate, consult, gather perspectives, and understand the viewpoints of others while influencing win‑win solutions and forward‑thinking initiatives for the organization.

CRITICAL THINKING: Demonstrated ability to interpret data, develop conclusions, and develop and implement action plans that resolve issues. Experience in solving complex long term occupational and non‑occupational leave matters and developing effective solutions.

Work Location: 800 East City Hall Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23510
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday (40 hours)

Departmental Hiring Salary Range: $59,745-$68,559