Benefits Administrator

Overview:
**Responsibilities**:
Remain Current and Conversant with Compliance Requirements, Trends, and Best Practices
- Maintain awareness of legislation, regulations, and standards related to absence management and benefits administration to ensure compliance within area of responsibility
- Participate in industry groups, networking with peers to gain insights into trends as well as arrangements of comparable entities
- Participate in professional development to aid in ongoing knowledge and skills acquisition

Effective and Accurate Administration of Benefits Arrangements
- Responsible for the administration of the Group Benefits program (Life, LTD, Extended Health, Dental, EFAP), including but not limited to the following:

- Coordinate the annual overage dependent eligibility verification process, including employee communications and addressing coverage requirements each September 1
- Monitor age related events and issue monthly communications to employees who reach significant age milestones that result in changes to benefits coverage (i.e., age 65/69/71)
- Monitor error reports from weekly interface with healthcare benefits provider; identify issues and work with colleagues within HR and vendor to resolve
- Manages life insurance claims processing for employees and retirees; prepares letters to beneficiaries and assists with claims submission requirements
- Liaise with third party providers to support issue resolution
- Responsible for the administration of other employee benefits arrangements (including Staff vacation, sabbaticals, vacation exchange programs, temporary reduced workload/reduced workload to retirement, deferred salary), including but not limited to the following:

- Ensure entitlements are provided accurately in accordance with eligibility criteria and other established plan design parameters and policy provisions
- Administer Staff (regular and temporary) vacation accruals and adjustments, special arrangements, and terminations/retirements within the HR/Payroll system (Workday); ensure the carryforward and forfeiture rules are adhered to and approvals are obtained for exceptional circumstances; support the finalization of the monthly payroll cycle by providing review and confirmation of accuracy for any vacation accrual payouts
- Process special arrangements including the management of employee records within the HR/Payroll system (Workday) for approved reduced workload, vacation exchange, and regular recurring and irregular part-time Staff employees, and the corresponding communication requirements
- Support the completion of Employee Action Forms (EAFs) in the event of an involuntary employment termination (including death); review details to confirm accuracy of employee benefit arrangements (e.g., life insurance amount) and input vacation accrual payout amounts
- Collaborate with other HR teams to identify challenges with existing functionality and/or test new functionality required to administer benefits

Coordinate case management activities for leaves of absences / absence management
- Coordinate case management activities for leaves of absences (maternity/parental, bereavement, compassionate care, unpaid leaves, other ESA leaves, temporary work stoppage and on a backup basis, sick leave) to ensure employees are well supported and that the Payroll team receives accurate and timely information relative to eligible payments, including but not limited to the following:

- Communications with employees to indicate any impacts to other benefits including pension accruals and contributions
- Support absent employees as required with questions pertaining to benefits eligibility and ongoing benefits coverage and accruals during absence
- Ensure departmental awareness and engagement to support return to work timing and any corresponding arrangements
- Collaborate with other HR teams to identify challenges with existing functionality and/or test new functionality required to administer leaves of absences / absence management

Communication of Benefits and Corresponding Administration to all Stakeholders
- Issue communications for employees (active or on leave) and retirees as required
- Support the communication of arrangements to employees and stakeholder groups through orientation presentations, written materials and documents, and other avenues, as required
- Provide effective customer service and support to other areas of HR and the University community for area of responsibility; as necessary, meets or corresponds with employees who have complex questions or escalated concerns

Other duties as required
- Liaises with HR colleagues as required to ensure understanding of current arrangements
- Participates in HR cross functional review of processes and procedures to provide benefits impacts

Qualifications:

- Three-year Post-secondary education (university degree preferred) or equivalent experience preferred
- 3-5 years of experience in a Human Resources role, with exposure to absenc