HUMAN RESOURCES ADMINISTRATION - Benefits Associate

Job Classification

  Hourly Full-time (35-40)

Position summary

Responsible for assisting in the coordination of the university’s benefit plans, maintains and reconciles benefit accounts, coordinates the worker’s compensation program and assists customers at the employment office front desk.

 

Qualifications summary

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed in the full position description are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

 


Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Duties and responsibilities

Includes the following duties, as well as other responsibilities that may be assigned as needed:

University benefits program

(by applying government regulations, AU Working Policy, Employee Handbook, General Conference and North American Division (GC/NAD) policies):

• Provide routine employee services by
  
  
  
  • Answering benefits questions
  
  
  • Responding to daily emails
  
  
  • Communicating any individual benefit changes and updates
  
  
  • Assisting in benefits enrollment through the benefits management system (BMS)
  
  
  • Investigating coverage discrepancies
  
  
  
  


• Audit benefit eligibility and missed biweekly premiums, and process findings accordingly


• Determine and submit for processing final deduction amounts for terminating employees


• Maintain employee dependents through monitoring the BMS, updating Banner, and ensuring complete records are obtained and matched


• Monitor automated processes and correct data as needed to maintain health coverage periods in Banner, in support of ACA 1095-C production


• Facilitate resolution related to employee benefit issues, ensuring the BMS and payroll processing are accurate


• Assist with the distribution of the summary of benefit coverages (SBCs) compliance documents


• Authorize free class and tuition assistance benefits and address any related issues


• Implement Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) procedure, including keeping accurate and complete records, ensuring consistent application of policy, and managing short-term disability process


• Facilitate the Long Term Disability insurance application and process, including benefit and pay timelines


• Manage the wellness award process throughout the plan year, ensuring employees with status changes are appropriately reflected, monitoring completion reports, and entering appropriate data in Banner


• Assist with and coordinate open enrollment (OE) and other related events
  
  
  
  • Town Hall Meetings
  
  
  • Flu Shot Clinic
  
  
  • OE wellness award requirements, including arrange, facilitating completion, and tracking.
  
  
  • Health/Benefits Fair
  
  
  
  


• Acts as liaison with Corewell Health Primary Care Berrien Springs and other benefits providers to coordinate additional benefits for employees


• Pursues and resolves service, quality, and plan issues with medical insurance and other benefit plan providers


• Participates in monthly healthcare meetings with the AU benefits consultant and the health insurance third party administrator (TPA)


• Manage employee elections in the BMS, including releasing pended elections, applying UNUM evidence of insurability (EOI) results, starting and ending benefit enrollment outside of normal new hire, life event, benefit class change, and open enrollments

 

Benefits accounts:

• Create or review bill reconciliations; resolve discrepancies between BMS, vendor, payroll and employee; and process invoice payments for benefits accounts with the following vendors:
  
  
  
  • HMA (TPA for health insurance), ASR (flexible spending accounts), Drexi
  
  
  • UNUM self-bill (life insurance, long-term & short-term disability, accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life insurance, accident, hospital, critical illness)
  
  
  • UNUM worksite (whole life)
  
  
  • Legal Resources 
  
  
  • CompOne & West Bend (workers compensation)
  
  
  • AI Technologies (benefit management system)
  
  
  
  


• Reconcile benefits clearing accounts for payroll deduction vs invoice payments

 

Worker’s Compensation Program

• Processes and completes worker’s compensation claims


• Assists with work situational evaluations for employees


• Summarizes observed patterns of work injuries for the Loss Control Director’s investigation


• Reviews and advises supervisor of litigation and non-routine issues


• Keeps close contact with injured employee, supervisor, TPA, and medical providers, relating to worker’s compensation issues


• Applies government regulations as they relate to worker’s compensation


• Keeps accurate records for reporting to government agencies and other interested parties
  
  
  
  • Prepare the MIOSHA report base on annual claims.
  
  
  • Collect information and prepare the payroll report for Accident Fund Audits.
  
  
  • Collect information and prepare the Renewals for workers compensation
  
  
  
  

 

Miscellaneous

• Assists other HR areas for front desk coverage, as needed


• Participate in presenting at New Employee Orientation, Supervisor Training, and other sessions as needed

Supervisory responsibilities

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. 

Supervise student assistants working on projects.

 

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Education and/or Experience: Associate degree, or two to three years’ related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. CEBS is desirable.

Language Skills: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret plan documents, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers and medical plan providers. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedures manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups, managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Strong written and oral communication skills.

Mathematical Skills: Ability to work with mathematical concepts. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations. Knowledge and ability in basic accounting and accounts reconciliations.


Must be a Seventh-day Adventist in good and regular standing.

Technical competencies

Proficient in Microsoft Office tools including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoin, etc.

Interpersonal interactions

Ability to work with all types of personalities in challenging situations.

Physical demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear.  The employee is occasionally required to stand and walk. 

Work environment

The work environment characteristics are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Normal office environment with noise level usually moderate and expectations of some interruptions.