Leave & Benefits Specialist

About Our Company

Lids Sports Group is the largest licensed sports retailer in North America, selling fan and fashion-oriented headwear and apparel across the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia. Operating out of Indianapolis, IN, our retail stores offer officially licensed headwear and apparel from collegiate and professional sports teams, plus top brands like Nike, New Era, Adidas, and Mitchell & Ness.

We currently operate 1,200+ locations domestically and 50+ internationally, including specialty concept stores for the NBA, NHL, Paris Saint-Germain, and numerous MLB teams. In recent years, Lids has built partnerships with iconic global brands including Marvel, Playboy, and the Harlem Globetrotters, and gained ambassadors like Justin Jefferson, Quavo, and Josephine Skriver – creating a community for both sports fans and fashion lovers.

The company is currently expanding with the goal of becoming the largest licensed brick-and-mortar sports retailer across the globe.

General Position Summary

Leave of Absence Administration:

In this critical role, you will be responsible for managing employee leave requests, including FMLA. This includes guiding employees through the leave process, ensuring compliance with leave laws, and facilitating smooth returns to work. You'll also handle accommodation requests under the ADA and maintain meticulous records while preserving employee confidentiality.

Benefit Administration:

As the primary contact for employee benefit matters, you'll work closely with benefits brokers and vendors to address employee inquiries. Your role involves overseeing benefit data, auditing enrollments, and ensuring compliance with regulations. You’ll play a key role in developing communication tools to enhance employee understanding of our benefits package and promote wellness initiatives.

401K Administration:

You will coordinate various aspects of our 401K program, including rollovers, distributions, loans, and compliance testing. Your expertise will be crucial in monitoring eligibility, addressing employee inquiries, and ensuring compliance with relevant regulations.

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

Leave of Absence Administration

• Communicate with employees regarding their needs for leave and/or modified work schedules. Ensures employees know their roles and responsibilities.
• Handle the FMLA leave administration process from the employee’s initial notice of the need for leave to the return to work. This includes gathering and completing all required paperwork, determining leave eligibility, designating leave as FMLA-qualifying, requesting medical certification, and accounting for intermittent and reduced scheduled leave use.
• Maintain communication with employees on leave to facilitate a smooth and timely return to work; relay communication between employees and their managers during leave within reason.
• Advise managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off, workers’ compensation, and short-term and long-term disability benefits.
• Oversees the return-to-work process for employees returning from extended FMLA, workers’ compensation, or other leave(s).
• Facilitate other leave requests, including accommodation requests under the ADA.
• Maintain complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements and documentation of best practices.
• Preserve confidentiality of employee medical documentation and files.
• Maintain knowledge of all applicable leave and accommodation laws, including the FMLA, ADA, and state and local laws.

Additional Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Benefit Administration

• Address employee benefit requests and work with our benefits broker and vendors to resolve issues promptly
• Oversee employee benefit data and maintain administrative procedures
• Ensure accuracy of invoices, audit benefit enrollments and compliance with government regulations.
• Promote wellness initiatives that increase mental, physical, and financial well being.
• Develop communication tools to enhance understanding of company's benefits package
• Coordinate daily benefits processing, handle enrollments, COBRA, terminations, changes, beneficiaries, disability, accident, and death claims. 

401 Administration

• Coordinate 401K activities, including rollovers, distributions, loans, and hardship requests
• Analyze and Participate in annual 401k compliance testing.
• Monitor eligibility, handle inquiries, and ensure compliance with regulations.

Job Required Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor's degree in human resource management or a minimum of two years experience in related employee benefits administration.
• Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to use Microsoft Office products; experience with HRIS and benefits databases.
• Proven ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Strong analytical skills and a thorough knowledge of plan designs.
• Knowledge of benefits terms, plan structure, and language.
• Knowledge of all pertinent federal and state regulations, filing, and compliance requirements, including ACA, ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, Section 125, workers’ compensation, and DOL requirements.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.

This position will be located out of our corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana, and will require relocation if not local

Reports To

• Director of Human Resource

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