What are the responsibilities and job description for the Benefits Specialist position at AlerisLife?
Location Information
Five Star Senior Living's corporate headquarters are located in Newton, Massachusetts. Just 20 minutes outside of downtown Boston, the building features easy access to public transportation and the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Key Responsibilities
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Benefits Manager, the person in this role supports the overall benefits function to ensure efficient design, administration, communication and compliance and service across all of our benefit programs and offerings. The person in this role is an integral part of the Five Star benefits team that is focused on providing a positive benefits experience for all Five Star’s employees.
Responsibilities:
Daytime
EEOC
Alerislife prohibits discrimination against any applicant or employee with regard to or on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, ancestry, sex, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity and expression (including transgender), sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, military status, certain criminal records, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), HIV testing, a personal admission to a facility for the care and treatment of a mentally ill person and taking of parental leave or membership in any other category protected by applicable law. In addition to federal requirements, AlerisLife complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has communities and/or facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
In addition, AlerisLife expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, ancestry, sex, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity and expression (including transgender), sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, military status, certain criminal records, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), HIV testing, a personal admission to a facility for the care and treatment of a mentally ill person and taking of parental leave or membership in any other category protected by applicable law. We will not tolerate harassment of employees in the workplace, or in other settings in which employees may find themselves in connection with their employment. Improper interference with the ability of AlerisLifeTesting of New Employment Application’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. Additionally, retaliation, including intimidation, threats, or coercion, because an employee or applicant has objected to discrimination harassment or retaliation, engaged or may engage in filing a complaint, assisted in a review, investigation, or hearing or have otherwise sought to obtain their legal rights under any federal, state, or local law is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
Five Star Senior Living's corporate headquarters are located in Newton, Massachusetts. Just 20 minutes outside of downtown Boston, the building features easy access to public transportation and the Massachusetts Turnpike.
Key Responsibilities
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Benefits Manager, the person in this role supports the overall benefits function to ensure efficient design, administration, communication and compliance and service across all of our benefit programs and offerings. The person in this role is an integral part of the Five Star benefits team that is focused on providing a positive benefits experience for all Five Star’s employees.
Responsibilities:
- Provide customer-oriented and responsive service to Five Star’s internal HR partners and team members to address a wide variety of benefits related questions including but not limited to plan design, eligibility, and claims-related issues.
- Research and investigate issues and provide recommendations on solutions, while appropriately escalates more complex or unresolved benefits issues to ensure resolution.
- Partner with vendors and internal Five Star benefits and regional HR teams to collaborate on the effective resolution of team member benefit issues. Serves as facilitator with third party administrators to resolve matters.
- Provide project coordination to support the efficient and organized execution of our annual open enrollment period.
- Draft team member communications and work with design and marketing vendors on the development and distribution of collateral.
- Coordinate communications calendars with vendors.
- Ensure accuracy of benefits portal, working with third party vendor to change and update content.
- Assist with the development of training materials on a variety of benefits topics.
- Partner closely with payroll team to address and resolve employee inquiries related to benefit deductions and payments.
- Assist with the development and distribution of communication tools and resources necessary to support local communities in educating employees regarding their employee benefits package.
- Provide oversight regarding employee change in hours and benefits eligibility, completing regular audits for community-level review and feedback to ensure compliance.
- Brainstorm and collaborate with the benefits team regarding innovative and new ideas regarding the employee benefits program at Five Star.
- Provide administrative support regarding the company’s 401K plan to track employee opt outs and review file transfer errors. Support the annual 401k audit. Work with payroll to ensure timely contributions.
- Document and maintain administrative procedures for assigned benefit processes.
- Ensure compliance with applicable government regulations and maintain compliance calendar in partnership with broker and internal team.
- Administer various compliance requirements such as discrimination testing for FSA and 401k, ACA reporting, along with other federal and state filings.
- Serve as a back-up to conduct new hire benefits orientation for new hires and during the annual open enrollment period.
- Proactively identify opportunities to drive efficiencies across benefits administration, processes and employee communications.
- Bachelor's degree
- Prior experience with employee benefit administration, support and service.
- Experience with administration and compliance related to 401k plans.
- Experience with vendor management.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to interface with a variety of internal customers.
- Expert attention to detail.
- Computer proficiency and technical aptitude with the ability to utilize MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint required.
- Collaborative team player.
- Exposure to Workday a plus
- Familiarity with pertinent federal and state regulations affecting employee benefit programs, including ERISA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, SECTION 125.
Daytime
EEOC
Alerislife prohibits discrimination against any applicant or employee with regard to or on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, ancestry, sex, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity and expression (including transgender), sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, military status, certain criminal records, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), HIV testing, a personal admission to a facility for the care and treatment of a mentally ill person and taking of parental leave or membership in any other category protected by applicable law. In addition to federal requirements, AlerisLife complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has communities and/or facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.
In addition, AlerisLife expressly prohibits any form of workplace harassment based on race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, ancestry, sex, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity and expression (including transgender), sexual orientation, mental or physical disability, military status, certain criminal records, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), HIV testing, a personal admission to a facility for the care and treatment of a mentally ill person and taking of parental leave or membership in any other category protected by applicable law. We will not tolerate harassment of employees in the workplace, or in other settings in which employees may find themselves in connection with their employment. Improper interference with the ability of AlerisLifeTesting of New Employment Application’s employees to perform their job duties may result in discipline up to and including discharge. Additionally, retaliation, including intimidation, threats, or coercion, because an employee or applicant has objected to discrimination harassment or retaliation, engaged or may engage in filing a complaint, assisted in a review, investigation, or hearing or have otherwise sought to obtain their legal rights under any federal, state, or local law is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
