Leave of Absence and Workers' Compensation

INDU AHLUWALIA PHR

**** ******* **** ****, *** Jose, CA 95135

408-***-****(C); 408-***-****(H); ****.******@*****.***

Skills:

10+ years’ experience in HR concentrating in benefits administration, worker’s compensation, leave of absence, in a variety of industries including hospitals, high tech, airlines

Extensive experience in managing vendor relations, third party administrators (TPAs), working closely with company attorneys and vendor plan compliance representatives

Solid understanding of laws and regulations related to benefit plan administration/ compliance and leave of absences (OSHA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, FMLA, ADA, FEHA, PDL, CFRA )

Familiarity with ADP payroll system, Reportsmith, HRIS Peoplesoft 8.0, Lawson and Leave Link, Crew Track, Winflex, Agility

PC proficiency in Windows, Word, Excel, Power Point etc.

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with ability to make presentations to employees and all levels of management

Ability to multitask, reprioritize, maintain strict confidentiality and excellent customer service skills.

Supervisory experience

Dec, 2014 – July, 2015: El Camino Hospital, Workers’ Compensation & Leave Analyst, Mountain View, CA.

-Coordinated all facets of WC claims management, Leave of absence (LOA) and transitional work programs

-Primary resource and liaison for issues relating to LOA & WC between the Employee Health Nurse Practitioners (NP) and the TPA to exchange information and resolve claims and leave issues

-Coordinated and managed temporary and permanent work accommodations, including the interactive process meetings for both work related and non-work related leaves of absences and ADA process

-Provided consultation for insurance and programs based on regulations, insurance parameters, union labor contracts, policies and procedures for their areas of expertise

-Created and maintained mandated reports required by State and Federal Regulations for WC, LOA and timely processing of WC claims and corresponding leaves

-Compiled and analyzed financial and operational information as it relates to HR practices including trends on work related injuries and cost of injuries and made recommendations for actions to help improve and support compliance with safe work practices and wellness initiatives

April, 2013 - December, 2014: Virgin America, Manager, Leave of Absence, Burlingame, CA.

-Responsible for overall design and management of the company's leave administration programs, including both federal and state programs

- Managed relationship with Third Party Administrator to ensure leaves are administered in accordance with all company policy and all local, state, federal guidelines

- Served as subject matter expert for leave administration. Provide guidance and education on leave policies to Teammates and Team Leaders

- Provided Teammates with information and eligibility criteria regarding FMLA, SDI, PFL and other company leave programs

- Served as escalation point of contact for complicated leave requests or accommodations.

- Analyzed routine and complex leave requests in accordance with company policy and applicable laws and facilitated an effective leave management program

- Facilitated the ADA interactive process, engaging with Team Member Relations Mangers, Legal counsel, and Team Leaders to ensure compliance with applicable policies and legal requirements

-Identified problems and trends that required corrective action and assisted in developing necessary improvements related to leave management and leave-end processes

-Stayed current on laws, case laws, regulations, and legal precedents relating to leaves. Partnered with legal to ensure company leave-related policies and guidelines follow local, state, federal regulations.

- Familiar with Payroll/HR systems such as ADP, KRONOS, Crewtrack

--Ability to handle multiple or changing priorities and urgent requests while maintaining confidentiality

-Assisted with other people related projects

Jan, 2006 - April 2013: Leave of Absence Coordinator, Matrix Absence Management, CA.

-Thorough knowledge and ability to apply state and federal laws and regulations for leave tracking and eligibility determination as they relate to FMLA, STD, LTD, WC and PFL

-Reviewed case laws and applied knowledge and information to unusual case scenarios in order to determine eligibility of complex leave requests

-Communicated with treating physicians for the purpose of clarifying and validating medical facts

-Managed the entire leave process starting with determining eligibility, making sure accurate federal/state leave laws are applied, verifying leave start/end date and return to work process in web based leave tracking system called Leave Link

-Presented on line maternity webinars as well as onsite seminars at client sites

-Provided weekly payroll reports for clients for vacation supplementing for employees while out on leave

April, 2004 - Sept 2005: Benefits Specialist, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Palo Alto, CA.

-Counselled employees with questions regarding various benefit programs

-Assisted with annual and new hire enrollment for various benefit plans, resolved employee health

claim issues and responded to employees’ questions regarding HR/Benefits and other hospital

related procedures

-Oversaw all additions, changes and terminations of enrollment information entered in the HRIS system and audited for accuracy

-Coordinated the communication process during the implementation of new benefit programs and annual open enrollment election process

-Responsible for the administration, design and communication of employee benefit programs; ensured that all plans are in compliance with state/federal laws/regulation

-Reviewed and updated all plan documents including SPDs/ SMMs and Employee Benefits Handbook with detailed description of benefits provided

-Served as a HIPAA administrator, responsible for completion and renewal of all business associate agreements. Provided training to staff and other HR associates on HIPAA guidelines and protection of PHI.

-Managed plan contracts and performance agreements with vendors and consultants

-Participated in coordinating the renewal and re-bidding process for benefit plans and assisted with the negotiation process with vendors of benefit products and services

-Developed, recommended and monitored budget allocations for employee benefit programs and services.

-Participated in various benefits surveys; verified the calculation of monthly premium

billing for all health and welfare carriers

Aug, 2003 - April, 2004: Benefits Analyst, Knowledge Universe, Menlo Park, CA.

-Responsible for the administration, design and communication of all corporate health and welfare benefits programs of this company

-Conducted open enrollment benefit presentation via webminars and onsite meetings to employees of subsidiary companies throughout the U.S in several states

April, 1999 - Jan, 2002: Benefits Administrator, Digital Island, San Francisco, CA

-Responded to employee benefits inquiries and acted as a trouble shooter/problem solver for general benefits issues to 1000+ employees

- Managed the annual benefits open enrollments for 1000+ employees in multiple locations within and outside US

-Created and developed a highly professional and comprehensive “New Employee Orientation” benefits presentation. Managed and presented this program to an average of 15 new hires each week.

-Worked with senior management, insurance brokers and insurance company representatives in going over claims experiences

-Responsible for development and upkeep of all benefits communication literature including the company intranet; Calculated and submitted monthly benefits premium

-Assisted the staffing of 500+ employees within a year of going public. Responsible for the entire new hires process orientation & ensuring the smooth transition of employee benefits during several acquisitions; Upkeep and maintenance of the company intranet with job postings.

Education:

Master of Arts (M.A.) Human Resources Management, National University, San Jose, CA.

PHR (Professional In Human Resources) certified, Jan 2013.

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