Benefits and Leave Business Partner

The Benefits & LOA Business Partner reports to the Associate Director, Total Rewards & People Operations, N.A. and assists employees in understanding the organizations benefits offerings and acts as a liaison between the organization and third-party benefits providers. Conducts orientation or enrollment meetings, advises on eligibility, costs, and coverage, and provides information for use in memos, presentations, or other benefits communications. Provides guidance during claims or enrollment processes. Maintains records related to benefits plan participation or contributions. Administers leave of absence program for all U.S. and Canadian employees. Administers and processes various reports for Federal and state government agencies.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

General

• Works with minimal supervision to address moderately complex issues and problems and collaborates on more complex issues with Associate Director, may also engage with outside vendors and the Global Total Rewards Practice Center.

• Acts in a consultative role with the utmost confidentiality, tact, and diplomacy.

• Works extensively with all levels of management and staff using appropriate combination of sound judgment and empathy.

• Brings a solid understanding of employment law within the U.S. and Canada and stays current to make recommendations and propose updates to existing policies and practices to assure benefits and leaves of absence processes are compliant, prudent, fair and equitable.

• Maintains exceptional confidentiality surrounding employee issues regarding personal health information (PHI).

• Acts professionally internally and externally to proactively promote Sage as an Employer of Choice in both the geographic and publishing communities.

• Performs other projects and duties as assigned.

Benefits Administration

• Assists in the administration of the employee benefits programs within N.A, including medical, dental, prescription drug, EAP, life insurance, short- and long-term disability. flexible spending accounts, 401(k), and other Sage benefits and perks, including 5-year Anniversary Trips, Charitable Donations, etc.

• In collaboration with the Global Total Rewards Practice Center, Associate Director, Internal Comms, and external vendors, assists with the administration of open enrollment processes, communication campaigns, and employee education initiatives related to benefits, to include system updates for online enrollment; may participate in vendor selection during the RFP process and may be an administrative contact for N.A. benefits vendors, brokers, and consultants.

• Accurately processes timely payment of regionally administered ancillary self-bill and other insurance policies.

Leaves of Absence & Disability Management

• Works closely with employees and management to efficiently and fairly process leaves of absence adhering to all company, state, and federal leave laws.

• Ability to successfully support employees and management through the interactive reasonable accommodation process following ADAAA standards, when needed.

• Ensures all workers’ compensation claims are handled and reported in a prompt and legally compliant manner.

• In collaboration with the Global Total Rewards Practice Center and Associate Director, participates in periodic workers’ compensation statistics meetings to review experience modification ratings and advise on status and strategize on open claims.

• Takes an active role in partnering with the Facilities Manager and Warehouse management staff to ensure safe and proper policies are adhered to when employees are working and operating heavy machinery in a warehouse setting.

• Partners with leaders to monitor for compliance with OSHA & CalOSHA, including routine inspections, audits, training and evaluating the physical aspects of work to reduce the risk of injury within warehouses and offices, to proactively make safety improvement suggestions and assists with training and protocols as needed.

Compliance & Reporting

• Provides data/analytics and ad hoc department reports detailing people measures and metrics, including but not limited to employee benefits, leaves of absence, workplace injury, etc.

• Maintains compliance with country, federal, state, or province mandated programs such as local health ordinances, EEOC, OSHA, COBRA, ADA, ACA, etc. and other legislation that impacts the employer-employee relationship when it comes to employee benefits, leaves of absence and related mandates within the U.S. and Canada.

• In collaboration with Global Practice Center and the Associate Director, actively identifies opportunities for process improvement within regional systems and workflows to enable administrative efficiencies.