Employee Relations-Leave of Absence Specialist

Our Culture

Our unique culture is at the heart of all we do and is guided by our values and behaviors. It's what we expect of ourselves and each other every day. We call them the "Actions We Live By."

Our Core Values:

Actions We Live By. It's who we are when we step into our full power.

Keep It Real. Always. We need open and honest discussions. We need courage to speak up and to call things out that aren't good enough. And we navigate tough conversations with empathy and grace.

Think Ahead. Be An Owner. Always be proactive, not reactive; be on the front foot. If we want to be an owner of this business, we must act like it!

Stay Humble. Hustle Harder. Show up and do the hard workBe a gritty, roll-up-your-sleeves kind of crewKnow it's never about one person-we are a part of a powerful team.

One Team. One Voice. Be ONE united team. When we move in the same direction, there are no limits to what we can accomplish.

Be Curious. Ask Why. Stay member curiousWe seek to understand, and we never settle. We ask questions to truly understand the core of a matter.

GENERAL SUMMARY

As a Leave of Absence Specialist, you will oversee and manage the company leave of absence program. You will manage leave requests and accommodations arising under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other state and local leave laws. You will have a deep understanding of local, state, and federal leave laws (CA, WA and OR), the process of managing leave and disability accommodations, the interaction between leave laws and the workers compensation process, and the responsibilities of engaging in the interactive process. You will provide expert advice, leadership, and mentorship to the Operations, People, and the Issue Resolution teams. This is a great role for someone with Leave of Absence expertise looking to learn about other areas of employee relations including worker's compensation, internal investigations, and risk management.

This is a hybrid role with the expectation to be in the office at least two days a week. The primary office locations are San Francisco and/or Manhattan Beach with the possibility of working out of our other local club locations in accordance with business needs. The role will report to the Associate General Counsel.

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

PRIMARY JOB FUNCTIONS

• Support associates in navigating the leave of absences and ADA accommodation processes consistent with state and federal law as well as company policies.
• Engage with associate, manager, and business partners throughout the life cycle of the leave, from initiation to return to work, answering questions and mentoring throughout the process, including engaging in the interactive process.
• Communicate with associates regarding their need for leave and/or modified work schedules and ensure that associates are aware of their responsibilities and documentation requirements and review any impact to pay and benefits.
• Guide associates in the claim filing process for state leave programs, disability claims and workers compensation.
• Review and analyze medical documentation and provide follow up.
• Make recommendations and determinations for leaves, leave extensions, and accommodations and coordinate with associates returning from leave.
• Track and support associate leaves within Zendesk and partner with Payroll to ensure accurate pay during leave.
• Maintain complete, timely, and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with company policy and state and federal laws.
• Identify inefficiencies and develop solutions in the leave and disability management process.
• Drive timely closure of open cases/concerns.
• Partner with Operations, People and Legal teams to ensure proper handling and disposition of cases.
• Work with various business groups, including the People, Operations and the Legal teams on associate leave and disability management training.
• Serve as subject matter authority for the leave programs in alignment with company policies.
• Collaborate with legal and compliance partners on regulatory/employment liability issues as they relate to leave, disability and/or accommodation.
• Maintains current knowledge of all applicable leave and accommodation laws including FMLA, ADA, state, and local laws.
• Manage associate data and statements in a highly confidential manner.
• Analyze leave activity and determine trends/recommendations for proactive actions.
• Foster an effective, inclusive work environment/culture and relationships, balancing associate advocacy with stewardship of company goals and values.
• Responsible for file maintenance in adherence with the company's document retention process.
• Perform any additional associate relations tasks, as needed.

OTHER JOB FUNCTIONS

• Flexibility in work schedule, as job may require day and evening shifts, weekends and holidays

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary job function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• Policies and Regulations - Knowledge of company polices, federal, state and local leave law (WA, CA and OR), government regulations and agency rules that pertain to leave, disability management and workers compensation.

• Problem Anticipation/ Deductive Reasoning - Ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong and then apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense. Uses logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems and considers the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
• Excellent Written Comprehension and Expression - Ability to read, understand and communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Excellent Oral Comprehension and Expression -Ability to understand and communicate so others can understand ideas and information.
• Computer - Ability to develop and maintain computer records in Salesforce, Word, Excel and other software required by TBCC and regulatory agencies. Ability to develop tracking and report forms in Word and Excel as needed.

• Ability to thrive in an unstructured, fast-pacing, ever-changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Ability to think critically, take ownership and make decisions, problem solve, advise with comfort and empathy in the "gray" areas, recommend effective solutions; and understand and balance the business needs.
• Ability to partner effectively across functional teams and various associate levels.
• Exceptional organization and project management skills.
• Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION-MUST HAVE

• 7+ years of Human Resources-related experience with a minimum 5 years of relevant experience in leave and disability management.
• Deep subject matter expertise with demonstrated expertise in disability accommodation. (ADA/ADAAA/FEHA, etc.) and leave management including Federal/State leaves of absence (FMLA).
• General knowledge of all functional areas of HR/ER.

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION-NICE TO HAVE

• Prior experience in the hospitality and/or fitness industry.
• Knowledge of all pertinent federal and state regulations, filing and compliance requirements, both adopted and pending, affecting employee benefits, including the ACA, USERRA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, Section 125, workers' compensation, and Social Security and DOL requirements.
• Bachelor's degree or other advanced degree in a People/Human Resource related field.

• PHR/ SPHR/ SHRM-CP certification preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS/ PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• This position deals with outside personnel such as members, vendors and clients on a regular basis with contact in various forms such as in person, phone and email.
• The location of the position is primarily indoors. Position may occasionally require transition to outdoor environment. However, extreme environmental conditions do not exist.
• It is necessary to adapt to a frequently changing environment.
• It is sometimes necessary to deal with unpleasant or angry people with the need to problem solve difficult situations.
• Sitting and standing is as needed.
• Requires occasional physical exertion such as bending, twisting, sitting, stopping, and use of hands and fingers.
• It is necessary for the position to travel independently to property locations on an occasional basis.

JOB DESCRIPTION REVISION

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with this job. While this job description is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change. This job description replaces all previous descriptions for this position.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

The Bay Club Company ("TBCC") provides equal employment opportunities without regard to race (and all traits historically associated with race, including but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, religion, creed (including, but not limited to, religious dress and grooming practices), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, and breastfeeding, and other related medical conditions), sexual orientation and identity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, actual or perceived national origin/ancestry, accent or ability to speak English, age, disability, marital/familial status, source of income, veteran status, citizenship status, political activities or affiliations, medical condition, genetic information, persons with AIDS or AIDS-related condition, or persons who are victims of domestic violence.