HR & Benefits Assistant

Position Title: HR & Benefits Assistant

Reports To: Vice President HR & Benefits

Job Classification: Non-Exempt, 40 hours per week

Department: Human Resources

The Human Resources & Benefits Assistant plays a key role in supporting both human resources and benefits administration functions. This position participates in a broad range of HR activities with a primary focus on onboarding, agent support, and HR operations, while also supporting employee benefits administration, including enrollments, COBRA administration, special projects, and open enrollment activities. This role contributes to organizational success through strong attention to detail, effective communication, and a commitment to supporting agents, employees, and internal teams.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

1) Provide accurate and up-to-date information to co-employees, agents, vendors and internal team members.

a) Respond to basic HR related questions from co-employees. Triage requests for more targeted information and forward the request to the appropriate person.

b) Research co-employee issues utilizing available resources and collaborate with other staff and/or management to determine best response to the issue.

c) Monitor HR e-mail inbox several times a day and forward questions and/or information to appropriate staff.

d) Understand agent business needs.

e) Track important agent/co-employee interactions in CRM systems.

2) Complete Agency employee onboarding tasks to ensure co-employee, agent and other TEG functions are supported properly.

a) Conduct new co-employee onboarding at agent sites or virtually.

b) Process all new-hire paperwork accurately and in a timely fashion.

c) Collect the required information needed by TEG to process new hires in a timely fashion to ensure deadlines (pay, benefits, etc.) are met.

d) Conduct E-Verify activity in the timeframe set forth by the US government.

3) Effectively support a variety of human resources activities for Agencies.

a) Maintain electronic and paper files records according to company procedures.

b) Support the creation of new Agent employee handbooks and participate in the revision of current agent employee handbooks.

c) Assist in developing, job descriptions, and other customized written employment materials for Agents .

d) Support consultation to Agency agents and employees on employment matters with guidance from management.

e) Stay current on TEGs benefit programs and answer questions from Agents and co-employees in a timely and effective fashion.

f) Ensure co-employee changes are forwarded to the appropriate internal team member and are processed within corresponding legal time requirements.

g) Resolve any payroll/benefits discrepancies by partnering with TEG payroll and benefits departments.

4) Complete benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations, for ASO clients, in an accurate and timely manner to ensure employee, agent and TEG functions are supported properly.

a) Process all new-hire benefit enrollments.

b) Process benefit changes, including the collection of required documents to support the change.

c) Process weekly employee terminations in Prism.

d) Process benefit terminations and required COBRA notices including administration of COBRA payments and tracking.

e) Process status rate changes for ASO clients as they relate to benefit eligibility.

f) Collaborate with HR and Payroll to resolve issues related to benefit enrollments, changes, and terminations.

g) Assist the Benefits Department with full open enrollment process, including but not limited to ensuring upcoming benefit plan information is shared internally and externally, developing benefit cost sheets and rate sheets, processing benefit elections/changes/terminations, drafting communications/presentations, and tracking Open Enrollment activities.

h) Act as a resource to internal staff for open enrollment questions and issues.

i) Responsible to process applicable benefit changes within each vendor portal/website.

5) Effectively complete a variety of clerical and administrative benefit activities.

a) Maintain electronic and paper benefit files records according to company procedures.

b) Resolve any benefits discrepancies by coordinating directly with applicable benefit partners and TEG staff when needed.

c) Audit all ASO benefit invoices on a regular cadence and escalate major issues to Benefits Coordinator in a timely fashion.

6) Provide accurate and up-to-date benefits information to ASO employees, clients, and TEG staff.

a) Stay current on ASO client benefit programs and answer questions from clients, co-employees and TEG staff in a timely and effective fashion. Triage requests for more complicated needs/information to the Benefits Coordinator.

b) Respond to benefit issues utilizing available resources and collaborating with the Benefits Coordinator, other staff and/or management to determine the best response to the issue.

7) Other duties as assigned.

a) Intake and process employment verifications.

b) Process Unemployment Insurance (UI) claims by all applicable due dates and participate in UI hearings when required.

c) Act as a first point of contact for TEG by answering company phones.

d) Back up or provide support to other staff when requested and/or required.

e) Share knowledge with staff and agents by sharing information at staff meetings and writing newsfeed articles for social media.

f) Participate in training and development of other new or early career benefits staff.

g) Actively participate in meetings, trainings, and workgroups.

h) Provide blog drafts on schedule and/or as required.

i) Other duties as assigned.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL

1) Knowledge and Experience

a) Associates degree in human resource management or related field. Will consider equivalent work experience.

b) 1+ year of experience in human resources, employee benefits administration, administrative support, or customer service.

2) Skills and Abilities

a) Strong communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills.

b) High attention to detail, organizational ability, and professionalism.

c) Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.

d) Strong problem-solving, analytical, and data interpretation skills, with the ability to recommend solutions.

e) Proficiency in Microsoft Office and HRIS/databases.

f) Ability to maintain confidentiality, integrity, and accountability in all interactions and work product.

g) Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.

h) Flexibility and adaptability to changing organizational needs.

i) Ability to build and maintain positive relationships with diverse agents and staff.

j) Willingness to learn, listen, and continuously develop knowledge and skills.

3) Physical Requirements

a) Primarily sedentary work, exerting up to 25 lbs. of force occasionally or a negligible amount frequently.

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

1) Physical Activity

a) Primary working position-sitting, with occasional standing, walking, stooping, crouching, and kneeling.

b) Frequent reaching, carrying, lifting, pushing, pulling, fingering, grasping, typing, talking-speaking clearly, hearing-conversation, and seeing-near.

2) Work/Environmental

a) Moderate noise level consistent with an office environment.

b) Travel within Wisconsin and other states as required for business meetings, education events, etc.

3) Personal/Physiological

a) Interaction with people, working around people, delegating work and holding oneself and others accountable for meeting deadlines and finishing work, planning of activities, making judgments on a regular basis, frequent changes in duties and volume of work, intra-organizational and agent communication.

Note: The purpose of this document is to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel so classified; it is not intended to serve as an inclusive list of all responsibilities associated with this position.