Leave Administrator

The Firm

As a leading international law firm, we are dedicated to excellence through impactful communication, collaboration, and community involvement. Our company culture has earned us the designation as one of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" for 27 consecutive years. This honor, along with many others, highlights our commitment to innovation and professional development. At Alston & Bird LLP, our foundation is made of trust, reliability, and compassion.

About the role

At Alston & Bird, we recognize that employees may need support during some of life's most important moments. The Leave Administrator plays a critical role in delivering that support by administering the firm's leave and accommodation programs with professionalism, compassion, and a commitment to compliance. This position helps employees and managers navigate complex leave matters while fostering a positive employee experience and supporting the firm's people-first culture.

The Leave Administrator is responsible for the administration, coordination, and compliance of all leave of absence programs for firm personnel, including Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations, short- and long-term disability, workers' compensation, state and local leave programs, military leave, parental leave, personal leave, and other employer-sponsored leave benefits.

The role partners closely with employees, managers, Human Resources, Payroll, Benefits, and third-party administrators to ensure leave programs are administered consistently and in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

The Leave Administrator independently manages leave cases from initiation through return to work, including leave administration, accommodation coordination, documentation management, and return-to-work planning. This position also collaborates with HR leadership and external vendors to support employee well-being, maintain regulatory compliance, and drive operational excellence in leave management.

Essential Duties

• Administer all leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, short-term disability, long-term disability, workers' compensation, military leave, parental leave, paid leave programs, personal leave, and applicable state and local leave laws.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employees and managers regarding leave and accommodation processes, eligibility requirements, documentation, timelines, and return-to-work procedures.
• Evaluate and process leave requests, ensuring compliance with firm policies and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
• Maintain accurate leave records, documentation, and case files while safeguarding confidential employee information.
• Track and monitor leave status, certification deadlines, benefit continuation, accommodation requests, and return-to-work dates.
• Coordinate with employees, supervisors, Human Resources, Benefits, Payroll, and third-party administrators to ensure seamless leave administration.
• Facilitate the interactive process related to workplace accommodations and collaborate with stakeholders to identify reasonable accommodations and return-to-work solutions.
• Partner with managers to develop modified work schedules, transitional duty arrangements, and other accommodations as appropriate.
• Maintain current knowledge of leave-related legislation, regulatory developments, and best practices affecting firm operations.
• Assist with providing guidance and training to managers, HR team members, and employees regarding leave policies, compliance obligations, and procedural requirements.
• Prepare reports, metrics, and analyses related to leave utilization, trends, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
• Assist with the review, development, implementation, and enhancement of leave-related policies, procedures, and programs.
• Support vendor management activities, including oversight of third-party leave and disability administrators, issue resolution, and service delivery monitoring.
• Participate in HR projects and initiatives related to employee well-being, compliance, benefits administration, and process improvement.
• Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, improve employee experience, and increase operational efficiency in leave administration.
• Assist with the day-to-day administration of the firm's health and welfare benefit programs, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, and voluntary benefits; respond to employee questions regarding eligibility, enrollment, coverage, and claims; and coordinate with benefit vendors to resolve issues.
• Process and monitor Workday benefit transactions, including new hires, qualified life events, and terminations; conduct routine audits and reconcile eligibility, enrollment, rates, deductions, dependent information, vendor files, and invoices; and work with vendors and Finance to research and resolve discrepancies.
• Support Open Enrollment, vendor implementations, plan changes, and other benefit initiatives through system testing, data validation, employee communications, enrollment support, and post-enrollment audits; maintain accurate employee-facing benefit resources and ensure confidential benefit and health information is handled appropriately.

Skills Needed to Be Successful

• Strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, PWFA, workers' compensation, disability programs, and state and local leave laws.
• Ability to manage multiple complex leave cases simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and confidentiality.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to handle sensitive situations with professionalism, empathy, and discretion.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and independently resolve complex leave and accommodation issues.
• Proficiency with HRIS, leave management systems, Microsoft Office applications, and reporting tools.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to compliance.

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 4-7 years of progressively responsible experience administering leave of absence programs, disability benefits, accommodations, and related HR processes.
• Experience interpreting and applying federal, state, and local leave laws and regulations.
• Experience working with third-party leave and disability administrators preferred.
• Professional services, legal, or other highly regulated environment experience preferred.

If you seek a collaborative, diverse and thriving workplace culture, then you'll enjoy your career with us!