ARAG Legal Insurance · 1 day ago
Benefits & Compensation Specialist
Des Moines, IA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid Level
3+ years expARAG Legal Insurance is seeking a Benefits & Compensation Specialist to manage benefits and leave administration while fostering strong internal relationships. The role involves leading the benefits enrollment process, collaborating with brokers and vendors, and serving as the primary contact for team members regarding benefits and leave inquiries.
Health InsuranceInsuranceLife Insurance
Responsibilities
Administers all ARAG benefit programs, including health and welfare plans, worker’s compensation, and STD/LTD. Inputs all benefit changes, including new hire, termination, status changes, address changes, etc. in the HRIS system to ensure accurate record keeping and proper deductions
Collaborates with brokers and carriers to ensure the accuracy of plan administration, carrier portals, and HRIS connections, while addressing changes, issues, and updates in a timely manner
Provides timely and accurate responses to inquiries from both new and existing team members. Facilitates communication and education regarding available benefits and any changes to those benefits
Monitors qualifying events and processes necessary system changes in adherence to benefit compliance and plan design
Proactively monitors the Company intranet and other team member communications to ensure all benefit communication and documents are accurate and up to date
Creates campaigns to educate team members on the benefit package to drive engagement and utilization
Leads the Open Enrollment process for the organization, partners with broker and coordinates benefit meeting logistics. Ensures HRIS is updated appropriately, processes all benefit elections, and submits to carriers
Partners with COBRA vendor to ensure COBRA requirements are met for terminated team members
Monitors benefit industry trends and participates in relevant data collection surveys. Provides recommendations to Culture & People leadership on new benefits or benefit changes
Monitors broker and vendor partnerships to ensure our partners are providing high quality service and expertise, information on current benefit plan trends, industry trends, legal & compliance resources and actively works on our behalf
Proactively provides input to Culture & People leadership on benefit questions, issues, revisions, updates, and administration
Collects and tracks College Savings forms, Health Club & Fitness Equipment Reimbursement, Wellness Activity Reimbursement, Tuition Reimbursement and ARAG Cares offerings
Serves as the Culture & People representative on the corporate Wellness Committee
Partners with Leave Management vendor to administer the leave process for the organization, including ADA, FMLA, Short-Term Disability, Parental Leave, Caregiver Leave, etc. and provides updates to Senior Manager, Culture & People
Communicates leave policies, procedures and entitlements to team members and leaders
Responsible for educating leaders on ADA, FMLA, STD/LTD processes and provides formal training, as needed
Monitors return-to-work statuses, coordinates with appropriate parties on accommodation or modifications, as needed
Supports and facilitates the ADA interactive process, including evaluating requests for reasonable accommodations and collaborating with team members and leaders to identify and implement appropriate solutions in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Updates HRIS records to accurately reflect leave status and proactively communicates updates with Payroll team
Reports leave trends and metrics to Culture & People leadership for workforce planning purposes
Collaborates with external compensation consultant and Senior Manager, Culture & People to establish market pricing for new and revised job descriptions
Maintains compensation data and ensures alignment with internal equity and market benchmarks
Participates in compensation surveys
Supports the annual merit increase process including data preparation, analysis, and communication
Partners with Culture & People leadership to draft and edit variable compensation plan documents and administers variable compensation programs
Responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the HRIS system, works with vendors when issues arise, and partners with Finance on maintaining system integrity
Assists managers and team members on the use of the system, helps, and trains new hires in how to utilize the system
Serves as primary resource for running reports from the HRIS systems and reviews reports ran for accuracy
Compiles reports and completes annual ACA reporting including partnering with vendor on the monthly review of 1095 statements
Proactively performs quality assurance audits on HRIS inputs including but not limited to new hires, time off policy assignments, merit increase data, etc
Maintains personnel records and monitors department recordkeeping practices to ensure legal compliance
Maintains compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and recommended best practices
Works closely with Culture & People leadership on the implementation and administration of policies and processes including making recommendations for modifications and updates
Ensures appropriate employment and worksite posters are posted per requirements by state and federal regulations
Monitors the department e-mail inbox, forwards to appropriate Culture & People contact and/or responds to requests timely and accurately
Compiles exit packets and completes various department checklists
Compiles monthly service awards for the organization and communicates with appropriate Payroll and Marketing personnel
Assists with department projects, year-end duties, and initiatives, as requested
Maintains a positive environment by actively supporting and promoting department and company objectives
Serves as a positive role model by representing ARAG at its Best
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned
Qualification
Required
Working knowledge and understanding of general Human Resources best practices
Solid understanding of employee benefits, insurance plans and leave laws (e.g., FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, COBRA)
Familiarity with Human Resource concepts related to payroll, benefits & compensation
Familiarity with compensation and benefit benchmarking tools and methodologies
Experience working with an HRIS system
Excellent computer skills in a Microsoft Office Windows environment. Must include working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Must be able to maintain a high degree of confidentiality
Requires critical thinking, problem-solving and analytical skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Must be able to deal with conflicting points of view and demonstrate integrity and fair-mindedness
Requires strong organizational skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced team environment. High attention to detail is a must
Demonstrates an ability to manage workload and meet deadlines on a consistent basis
Ability to be flexible and to adjust thinking and behavior to changes in the work environment
Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with individuals at all levels within the organization
Strong interpersonal, relationship building and active listening skills that foster teamwork, commitment, and collaboration
Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, or related discipline or equivalent work experience
3+ years' related experience. Leave & benefits administration experience required
Preferred
ADP experience preferred
PHR/SHRM-CP Certification preferred
Benefits
Health and welfare plans
Worker’s compensation
STD/LTD
College Savings forms
Health Club & Fitness Equipment Reimbursement
Wellness Activity Reimbursement
Tuition Reimbursement
ARAG Cares offerings
Company
ARAG Legal Insurance
ARAG Legal Insurance is an insurance company that offers life, health, family, and group insurance services.
51-200 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
David Murray
President & CEO
Melinda Dabney, ABC
Manager, Marketing for Partners, Clients and Eligibles
Company data provided by crunchbase