HomeMy WebLinkAboutFringe Benefit Specialist Job Description 10 20 24
CITY OF MONROE
JOB DESCRIPTION
FRINGE BENEFIT SPECIALIST
Supervised By: Director of Human Resources and Organizational Development
Supervises: None
Position Summary:
Under the supervision of the Director of Human Resources and Organizational
Development, the Fringe Benefit Specialist oversees and administers all employee and
retiree fringe benefits. These include but are not limited to pension calculations and
administration, healthcare plans, medical coverage, dental and vision insurance,
prescription drug plans, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), COBRA benefits, tuition
reimbursement, Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and both short-term and long-term
disability coverage. The Fringe Benefit Specialist ensures employees understand their
benefits, assists with retirements, and serves as the primary liaison with the Benefits
Administrator, CBIS-HUB, to coordinate open enrollment and ensure compliance with
regulations. This position also supports retirees transitioning from group medical coverage
to Medicare Advantage plans, helping them understand Medicare Parts A and B, Part D
prescription plans, and enrollment periods. Additionally, this role tracks the compliance
calendar in consultation with the third-party benefits administrator to ensure timely and
accurate adherence to regulatory deadlines.
Essential Job Functions:
An employee in this position may be called upon to do any or all of the following essential
functions. These examples do not include all of the duties which the employee may be
expected to perform. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to
perform each essential function satisfactorily.
Employee Onboarding:
● Facilitate onboarding new employees by ensuring all policy and benefit information
is disseminated and selected.
● Ensure legal benefits and privacy rights notices are completed and properly filed.
● Distribute all benefits enrollment materials and determine eligibility.
● Enroll employees with carriers and process life status changes.
● Track and communicate benefit payroll deductions with the Payroll Specialist.
Benefit Administration:
• Serve as a contact with the third-party benefits administrator to coordinate all
employee and retiree fringe benefits, including annual open enrollment in Employee
Navigator and escalated cases.
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● Coordinate healthcare, medical, dental, and vision insurance benefits, ensuring
employees and retirees have access to accurate, up-to-date information and
privacy rights.
● Administer COBRA benefits for terminated employees, ensuring compliance with
federal regulations.
● Manage short-term and long-term disability programs, handling claims and
coordinating with insurance providers.
● Administer and guide Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) for employees and retirees,
ensuring employees understand contribution limits and tax benefits.
● Maintain an accurate database of all pertinent employee and retiree contact
information in Employee Navigator and perform routine data maintenance and
quality checks.
● Monitor the compliance calendar to complete all benefit-related deadlines and
regulations.
● Assist employees and retirees regarding benefits claim issues and plan changes,
responding to inquiries from managers and employees on plan provisions,
enrollments, status changes, and other general questions.
Retirement and Pension Administration:
● vices to provide defined benefit administrative
calculations directly to employees preparing for retirement and retirees with
questions.
● Assist employees and retirees in understanding their pension plans.
● Communicate with prospective retirees about pension plan provisions and payment
elections, guiding them through decision-making.
● Support retirees transitioning from group healthcare coverage to Medicare
Advantage plans, providing education on Medicare Parts A and B, Part D
prescription plans, and enrollment periods.
● Coordinate monthly pension payments and manage annual cost-of-living increases
for retirees.
● Maintain an accurate member database of all pension information with the Pension
nce and quality
checks.
● Coordinate with actuaries to support the annual pension valuation reporting,
ensuring accurate data is provided, and reports are completed in a timely manner.
● Use the member data system to generate reports and ensure system maintenance is
current.
● Develop and maintain records (database/Excel) of participants and beneficiaries,
including active, deferred, retired, and separated members.
● Facilitate retirement and benefits-related calculations, withdrawal of contributions,
and deferred retirement.
● Maintain knowledge of organizational guidelines/regulations, legal and regulatory
changes, trends, and developments affecting retirement benefits.
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Leave Administration:
● Communicate FMLA and ADA implications relating to leaves of absence and
disabilities while assisting employees in navigating leave policies, ADA
● Serve as the subject matter expert
compensation programs, leave pay processing, and benefits enrollment.
● Interpret and support leave programs in alignment with federal and state laws
(FMLA, ADA, USERRA, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, etc.).
● Process and administer all leave-of-absence requests and disability paperwork,
including medical, personal, disability, and FMLA leaves.
Daily Responsibilities:
● Respond to employee and retiree calls and facilitate requests regarding benefits,
pension, and leave programs.
● Communicate with prospective retirees about pension plan provisions and payment
elections.
● Coordinate monthly pension payments and manage annual cost-of-living increases
for retirees.
● Review member data for accuracy, make necessary revisions, and maintain the
membership database.
● Use the member data system to generate reports and ensure system maintenance is
current.
● Administer benefit plans and manage special projects related to defined and
hybrid benefit plans.
● Maintain accurate client databases and benefit calculation logs.
● Assist in onboarding new employees, ensuring all benefit information is
disseminated and legal notices are completed.
Performance Expectations:
● Meet all performance and behavior expectations outlined in the company
performance appraisal form or communicated by management.
● Perform responsibilities as directed, achieving desired results within expected time
frames with high quality and professionalism.
● Establish positive and productive work relationships with all staff, customers, and
business partners.
● Demonstrate the behavioral and technical competencies necessary to complete job
responsibilities effectively. Take personal initiative for technical and professional
development.
● Model all organizational policies, work rules, and procedures, including protecting
confidential information, attending work punctually and regularly, and following
good safety practices.
Required Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Minimum Qualifications:
The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities and
minimum qualifications necessary to perform the essential functions of the position.
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Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to
perform the job.
Requirements include the following:
● A Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
● Three to five years of experience in benefits administration, including pension,
healthcare, and disability programs.
● Knowledge of federal and state regulations related to employee benefits, including
HIPAA, ERISA, COBRA, and the Affordable Care Act.
● Proficiency in using all Microsoft Suite programs and benefits administration
software.
● Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize tasks
and meet deadlines.
● Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain
complex benefit concepts to employees and retirees.
● Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality when handling sensitive
information.
● Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to resolve benefits-related issues
efficiently.
● Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, including
employees, retirees, vendors, and benefits administrators.
●
and the ability to maintain one throughout employment.
Physical Demands and Work Environment:
The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here represent
those an employee encounters while performing the job's essential functions. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential
functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate
in person and by telephone, read regular and small print, view and produce written and
electronic documents, and enter data on a computer keyboard with repetitive keystrokes.
The employee must be mobile in an office setting, stand, sit, stoop, kneel, and use hands to
finger, handle, or feel and reach with hands and arms. The employee must lift or push/pull
objects up to 15 lbs. without assistance. The typical work environment of this job is a
business office setting where the noise level is quiet and sometimes moderate.
October 2024