Benefits Manager

Leave of Absence Specialist – Location: Plano, TX. Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire. Pay Rate: $30.00–$40.00/hour. Salary Range upon conversion: $60,000–$85,000 annually, based on experience. Work Arrangement: Hybrid – 4 Days Onsite / 1 Day Remote. Onsite Schedule: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday required onsite; employee may select the fourth onsite day. Hybrid Requirement: 4 days onsite per week is non-negotiable. Position Overview Wheeler Staffing Partners is seeking an experienced Leave of Absence Specialist for a contract-to-hire opportunity in Plano, TX. This position will support the Total Rewards function by administering employee leave programs and serving as a primary resource for employees, managers, and HR leadership throughout the leave process. The ideal candidate has at least 3 years of hands-on leave of absence administration experience and strong working knowledge of leave eligibility, employee communications, benefits and payroll impacts, return-to-work coordination, and leave tracking. Hands-on Paycom experience is required. Key Responsibilities Administer employee leaves of absence, including maternity and paternity, medical, disability, military, and unpaid leave. Review leave requests and determine employee eligibility based on applicable policies and requirements. Guide employees and managers through leave processes, requirements, documentation, and next steps. Coordinate leave coverage, extensions, return-to-work activities, and separations when applicable. Enter, review, approve, and maintain employee leave information in Paycom. Update employee statuses and process leave-related personnel actions in Paycom. Manage benefit plan arrears associated with employee leaves and communicate amounts due and payments received with employees and accounting. Review employee leave statuses during each biweekly payroll cycle to help ensure accurate payroll and benefits processing. Partner with payroll, benefits, accounting, HR leadership, and other internal stakeholders to resolve leave-related issues. Support the transition of leave administration from a third-party vendor to an internal process. Assist with training HR Directors, managers, and employees on leave procedures and internal processes. Identify opportunities to improve leave administration processes, workflows, and systems. Prepare and maintain leave reports, records, and supporting documentation. Maintain current leave-related communications and employee self-service resources within Paycom, SharePoint, and benefits platforms. Monitor and manage the leave of absence mailbox and respond to employee and manager inquiries within established service expectations. Maintain accurate and confidential employee records and appropriately handle sensitive employee information. Ensure leave activities are completed accurately, consistently, and in accordance with company policies and applicable requirements. Required Qualifications Minimum of 3 years of hands-on Leave of Absence (LOA) administration experience. Experience managing leave eligibility, employee communications, leave tracking, documentation, and return-to-work coordination. Hands-on Paycom experience required. Experience entering and maintaining employee leave records and employee status changes within Paycom. Strong understanding of how employee leave status impacts payroll and benefits. Experience communicating leave policies, procedures, requirements, and next steps to employees and managers. Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong customer service and follow-through skills. Ability to independently manage multiple employee leave cases, priorities, and deadlines. Ability to handle confidential and sensitive employee information with discretion. Ability to work onsite in Plano, TX 4 days per week on a non-negotiable hybrid schedule. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting leave administration within a Total Rewards, Benefits, or Human Resources function. Experience transitioning leave administration from a third-party vendor to an internal process. Experience managing benefit arrears associated with employee leaves. Experience reviewing leave status as part of payroll processing. Experience developing or maintaining employee leave communications, training materials, or self-service resources. Familiarity with SharePoint and HR benefits platforms. #J-18808-Ljbffr Wheelersp