Human Resources Specialist - Leave & ADA

About the Department

Position Duties

• Serves as the point of contact and subject matter expert for qualified continuous or intermittent leaves of absence and reasonable accommodation requests. Partner with assistant city attorney on complex or high-risk cases. Lead or contribute to continuous process improvement initiatives in HR operations related to accommodations and leave management. Handles the leave process from employees’ initial notice of the need for leave to the employees’ return to work. This includes gathering and completing all required paperwork, determining leave eligibility, designating, or denying leaves as appropriate, requesting medical certification as needed, recertifying leaves, managing independent medical evaluation processes when needed, tracking and accounting for leave time used, including intermittent or reduced schedule leave use and performing audits as needed to ensure accuracy. Manages ADA workplace accommodation requests by understanding job analysis to assess the essential functions, conduct meetings for the interactive process, assess accommodation needs and department ability to reasonably provide accommodation, managing documentation, tracking accommodation status and providing guidance to employees and decision recommendations to departments. Manage and communicate the legal/technical aspects of the process in an empathetic, neutral, and clear manner. Delivers excellent customer service and ensures employees are aware of their own responsibilities and of any documentation and notice requirements to qualify for and to take leave. Provides guidance and advice to managers on the process and best practices. Delivers excellent customer service and ensures employees are aware of their own responsibilities and of any documentation and notice requirements to qualify for and to take leave. Provides guidance and advice to managers on the process and best practices. Maintains reasonable communication with employees on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work; keeps managers up to date about employee leaves, changes, and work restrictions. Preserves confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files. Maintains complete and accurate records; ensures all leave and accommodation requests (including intermittent and reduced schedule leaves) are processed accurately and timely, notifying employees of expirations and need for recertification. Collaborates with city-wide departmental leadership, HR Consultants, Benefits, Payroll, Risk/Workers’ Compensation, HRIS and Legal on leave and ADA accommodations, independent medical evaluations, performance issues, and other matters. Hold monthly meetings with department leadership experiencing high utilization and HR consultants to ensure smooth facilitation. Monitors continuation of group health plan benefits during leave based on the City’s policies and procedures/collective bargaining agreements; collaborates with benefits administrator on eligibility criteria changes. Documents internal workflow processes; researches, recommends, and streamlines processes for efficiency while ensuring positive employee and manager experience, consistency, and compliance.
• Serves as the point of contact and subject matter expert for qualified continuous or intermittent leaves of absence and reasonable accommodation requests. Partner with assistant city attorney on complex or high-risk cases. Lead or contribute to continuous process improvement initiatives in HR operations related to accommodations and leave management.
• Handles the leave process from employees’ initial notice of the need for leave to the employees’ return to work. This includes gathering and completing all required paperwork, determining leave eligibility, designating, or denying leaves as appropriate, requesting medical certification as needed, recertifying leaves, managing independent medical evaluation processes when needed, tracking and accounting for leave time used, including intermittent or reduced schedule leave use and performing audits as needed to ensure accuracy.
• Manages ADA workplace accommodation requests by understanding job analysis to assess the essential functions, conduct meetings for the interactive process, assess accommodation needs and department ability to reasonably provide accommodation, managing documentation, tracking accommodation status and providing guidance to employees and decision recommendations to departments. Manage and communicate the legal/technical aspects of the process in an empathetic, neutral, and clear manner.
• Delivers excellent customer service and ensures employees are aware of their own responsibilities and of any documentation and notice requirements to qualify for and to take leave. Provides guidance and advice to managers on the process and best practices.
• Maintains reasonable communication with employees on leave to facilitate smooth and timely return to work; keeps managers up to date about employee leaves, changes, and work restrictions.
• Preserves confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files.
• Maintains complete and accurate records; ensures all leave and accommodation requests (including intermittent and reduced schedule leaves) are processed accurately and timely, notifying employees of expirations and need for recertification.
• Collaborates with city-wide departmental leadership, HR Consultants, Benefits, Payroll, Risk/Workers’ Compensation, HRIS and Legal on leave and ADA accommodations, independent medical evaluations, performance issues, and other matters. Hold monthly meetings with department leadership experiencing high utilization and HR consultants to ensure smooth facilitation.
• Monitors continuation of group health plan benefits during leave based on the City’s policies and procedures/collective bargaining agreements; collaborates with benefits administrator on eligibility criteria changes.
• Documents internal workflow processes; researches, recommends, and streamlines processes for efficiency while ensuring positive employee and manager experience, consistency, and compliance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education and Experience Requirements Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in human resources or related field. Five or more years of experience administering federal and Washington state leaves of absence and ADA workplace accommodations; working knowledge of best practices for leaves of absence and accommodations. Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Excellent organizational and prioritizing skills, detail oriented, and ability to handle multiple tasks and assignments. Professional and personable, exercising sound judgment when dealing with sensitive and confidential matters. Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and analytical skills. Self-starter, motivated and proactive. Strong Microsoft Office skills; experience working with a HRIS and leave management software. Ability to build positive relationships at all levels across the organization, and cultivate confidence being a subject matter expert and delivering consistent results. Demonstrated ability to identify and anticipate client needs, convey appropriate options, and make recommendations for implementation. Exceptional oral and written communication skills. Certification in Human Resources or completion of specialized certification or training on FMLA/leave administration and ADA is preferred.

Education and Experience Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in human resources or related field.
• Five or more years of experience administering federal and Washington state leaves of absence and ADA workplace accommodations; working knowledge of best practices for leaves of absence and accommodations.
• Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Excellent organizational and prioritizing skills, detail oriented, and ability to handle multiple tasks and assignments.
• Professional and personable, exercising sound judgment when dealing with sensitive and confidential matters.
• Strong decision-making, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Self-starter, motivated and proactive.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills; experience working with a HRIS and leave management software.
• Ability to build positive relationships at all levels across the organization, and cultivate confidence being a subject matter expert and delivering consistent results.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and anticipate client needs, convey appropriate options, and make recommendations for implementation.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Certification in Human Resources or completion of specialized certification or training on FMLA/leave administration and ADA is preferred.

Other Qualifications

• Physical Demands The physical demands and work environment 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. Work involves walking, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reaching with hands and arms. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 20 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet. Hybrid position requiring two onsite days per week. Flexible/Hybrid Working: A hybrid work schedule is available for this position after an orientation period working in the office after hire. Remote work for this position is subject to department's operational needs and will be discussed with candidates during the selection process. Full-time remote work is not an available option. Once hired, employees must reside in the State of Washington and within reasonable commuting distance to Bellevue City Hall. Community Outreach manager responsible for programming that may include evening and weekends.
• Physical Demands The physical demands and work environment 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.
• Work involves walking, talking, hearing, using hands to handle, feel or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reaching with hands and arms.
• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• The employee may be required to push, pull, lift, and/or carry up to 20 pounds.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• Hybrid position requiring two onsite days per week.

Benefits

• The City of Bellevue offers employees a comprehensive benefits package providing choice, flexibility, and value! Please Note: Seasonal, part-time, and variable employees are not eligible for the below benefits except for mandatory participation in the retirement plan assigned to the position, which will be the Municipal Employees Benefit Trust (MEBT 2) retirement plan or the Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) retirement plan and any other benefits as required by law. The following summary applies to fully benefited positions: Medical Employees are offered a choice of medical coverage through the City's self-insured Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan or Kaiser Permanente (HMO). Dental Employees are offered a choice of two dental carriers with plans that offer regular checkups, x-rays, fillings, and crowns. Orthodontia is available through one of the carriers. Vision Employees are offered a choice of vision coverage through an annual exam-only plan or a buy-up plan which includes an annual eye exam and hardware coverage. Retirement Plans - Employees are offered three retirement plans: Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS): Mandatory participation (PERS, LEOFF or PSERS), depending upon eligibility. City of Bellevue Municipal Employee's Benefit Trust (MEBT): Optional participation in this 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match contributions that vest on a 3-year schedule. Deferred Compensation Program (457 DCP): Optional participation in the supplemental Deferred Compensation Program also administered by DRS that allows tax-deferred savings into a variety of investments options. Other benefits include: More detailed information about our employee benefits is available at https://c2mb.ajg.com/cityofbellevue Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) Life/Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance Long Term Disability (LTD) Survivor Income Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 11 observed holidays per year plus 2 additional personal holidays, vacation (standard accrual of 12 days a year), and sick leave (accumulated at the rate of one day per month) An ORCA Card bus pass On-site fitness center, and self service food/coffee options Career development and training programs Tuition Reimbursement Program Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) Paydays - The City of Bellevue pays employees on the 8th and the 23rd of each month (24 pay periods per year). Please note: The City of Bellevue does not participate in the Social Security Administration (SSA) program and employees do not earn social security credits. The mandatory DRS retirement pension plan provides the required social security replacement plan. NOTE : This is a brief summary of the benefit programs for the City's non-represented employees. Every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Benefits for employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) may have different benefits. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a CBA, the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
• The City of Bellevue offers employees a comprehensive benefits package providing choice, flexibility, and value! Please Note: Seasonal, part-time, and variable employees are not eligible for the below benefits except for mandatory participation in the retirement plan assigned to the position, which will be the Municipal Employees Benefit Trust (MEBT 2) retirement plan or the Washington State Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) retirement plan and any other benefits as required by law. The following summary applies to fully benefited positions: Medical Employees are offered a choice of medical coverage through the City's self-insured Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan or Kaiser Permanente (HMO). Dental Employees are offered a choice of two dental carriers with plans that offer regular checkups, x-rays, fillings, and crowns. Orthodontia is available through one of the carriers. Vision Employees are offered a choice of vision coverage through an annual exam-only plan or a buy-up plan which includes an annual eye exam and hardware coverage. Retirement Plans - Employees are offered three retirement plans:
• Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS): Mandatory participation (PERS, LEOFF or PSERS), depending upon eligibility.
• City of Bellevue Municipal Employee's Benefit Trust (MEBT): Optional participation in this 401(k) retirement savings plan with employer match contributions that vest on a 3-year schedule.
• Deferred Compensation Program (457 DCP): Optional participation in the supplemental Deferred Compensation Program also administered by DRS that allows tax-deferred savings into a variety of investments options.
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Life/Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• Survivor Income
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 11 observed holidays per year plus 2 additional personal holidays, vacation (standard accrual of 12 days a year), and sick leave (accumulated at the rate of one day per month)
• An ORCA Card bus pass
• On-site fitness center, and self service food/coffee options
• Career development and training programs
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• Paydays - The City of Bellevue pays employees on the 8th and the 23rd of each month (24 pay periods per year).
• Please note: The City of Bellevue does not participate in the Social Security Administration (SSA) program and employees do not earn social security credits. The mandatory DRS retirement pension plan provides the required social security replacement plan. NOTE : This is a brief summary of the benefit programs for the City's non-represented employees. Every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Benefits for employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) may have different benefits. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a CBA, the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.

Supplemental Questions