Employee Relations & Benefits Specialist

Company Description

“We’re not in the shipping business; we’re in the information business” -Peter Rose, Expeditors Founder

As a Fortune 500 company, Expeditors employs more than 15,000 trained professionals in a worldwide network of over 300 locations across six continents. Expeditors satisfies the increasingly sophisticated needs of international trade through customized solutions and seamless, integrated information systems. Our services include the consolidation and forwarding of air or ocean freight, customs brokerage, vendor consolidation, cargo insurance, time-definite transportation, order management, warehousing, distribution and customized logistics solutions. Expeditors is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

Job Description

The Corporate Leave of Absence and Workplace Accommodations Specialist supports corporate excellence by ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws, providing service and training to employees and managers, and advocating for benefits understanding and utilization.

This role serves as both a strategic and hands-on partner to employees and managers, with a primary focus on managing employee leaves of absence, workplace accommodations, and work-related injury matters. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while supporting a positive employee experience.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assess and manage leave of absence and accommodation requests
• Guide employees through the claim process with the Third-Party Administrator, Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave (WA PFML), and Washington Labor & Industries, as applicable
• Communicate with employees and managers about leave and accommodation processes, timelines, documentation, and responsibilities
• Facilitate the interactive process and provide guidance to employees and managers
• Provide timely updates and reminders, including return-to-work and accommodation end dates
• Deliver trainings on leave and accommodation processes to corporate managers
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure timely claim reporting and processing
• Maintain alignment between HRIS and Third-Party Administrator records, and manage related workflows and approvals
• Generate and share employee leave and accommodation reports with managers and distribute compliance notifications as needed
• Maintain secure and compliant storage of medical and personnel documentation

Other Duties:

• Contribute to team discussions on process improvements and operational efficiency
• Use sound judgment to escalate issues when appropriate
• Collaborate with the Corporate Employee Relations & Benefits team on various tasks and initiatives
• Meeting Expeditors’ annual training requirements
• Demonstrating Expeditors’ 10 cultural attributes:  Appearance, Attitude, Confidence, Curiosity, Excellence, Integrity, Pride, Resolute, Sense of Humor, and Visionary
• Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s degree
• Preferred 0-2 years’ experience in a human resource role, preferably with exposure to leave management, accommodations, or workers’ compensation
• Demonstrated interest in human resources and employment law compliance
• Strong communication, customer service and relationship-building skills
• Excellent attention to detail and organizational skills
• Collaborative, solution-oriented, and eager to learn
• Demonstrated ability to exercise appropriate discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Ability to apply sound judgement and knowledge of employment laws, policies, and benefits
• Enthusiastic, positive, and ambitious attitude

Additional Information

Pay and Benefits:

Non-Exempt Annual Salary: $58,000 - $62,000 (DOE)

Expeditors offers competitive benefits to all full-time employees including:

• Paid Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Time
• Health Plan: Medical, Prescription Drug, Dental and Vision
• Health Savings Account
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
• Life and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Various Optional Life and Disability Plans
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Training and Education Program