Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Timeline
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Claudia Merritt

Macedonia

Summary

Dynamic Human Resources Manager with a proven track record at Cuyahoga County, excelling in talent acquisition and employee relations. Expert in HR policies and compliance, FMLA/ADA and employee leaves. I successfully implemented training programs that enhanced staff performance and engagement, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and organizational growth.

Overview

27
27
years of professional experience

Work History

Manager Human Resources

Increased Behavioral Alternatives (IBA) Support Services
01.2023 - 04.2025
  • Manage the day-to-day operations of the Human Resources Department.
  • Conducts business in accordance with the federal guidelines, the ORC, Policies and Procedures of the State of Ohio, and the Department of Developmental Disabilities.
  • Direct and maintain overall operation of personnel services and develop personnel policy.
  • Personnel services include employment, benefits, employee relations, classification and compensation, personnel policy administration, and training and development.
  • Confer with administration, case managers and outlying County departments and State DODD agencies to exchange information on policies and procedures, and to monitor actions towards employees to ensure policies and regulations are followed.
  • Advise managers on organizational policy matters, e.g., equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment and recommend needed changes.
  • Respond to employee problems and employment questions from the public and employees.
  • Serves as liaison between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting, and administering policies and helping resolve work-related issues.
  • Provide guidance to employees who seek advice and counsel.
  • Answer questions regarding the benefit enrollment process.
  • Identify staff vacancies, recruit, interview and select applicants.
  • Confer with management to ensure the timely understanding of current and future workforce needs.
  • Implement improvements to staffing processes, including sourcing and selection.
  • Review employment applications for minimum requirements, verify references, schedules employment interviews, and conducts interviews; evaluate applicants for retaining the best talent for long-term organizational growth.
  • Coordinates development of competitive selection and testing instruments; participates in selection process for new employees; reviews selections for compliance.
  • Consults with management on DODD standards, policies, best practices, and their impact on the company.
  • Promotes communication vehicles for informing new policies and procedures to personnel.
  • Leads organizational and functional adherence to procedures and policies.
  • Design and negotiate guidelines for policies and standards.
  • Recommend/Administer selection, transfer, promotion, or discipline of employees.
  • Administers Employment Relations/Labor Relations (e.g. – conduct investigation, hold pre-disciplinary conference, analyze information, and prepare discipline report; run employee AWOL reports; administer FMLA, ADA and Fitness for Duty).

Virtual ERC Human Resources Specialist

Amazon, Employee Resource Center (ERC)
08.2022 - 12.2022
  • Acts as first point of contact for employees and managers via phone, live chat, email, and internal case management systems by answering Employee’s life-cycle queries related to benefits, payroll, leave of absence, data management, onboarding and terminations, as well as processing absence reporting requests.
  • Take ownership of employee contacts ensuring that each contact is accepted and resolved with a high degree of customer focus.
  • Address and respond to sensitive situations.
  • Identify gaps in the supporting documentation, internal processes and areas where the level of customer service could be improved.
  • Identify and solve problems that may arise, sometimes with limited information.
  • Communicate regular updates to employees and stakeholders both verbally and in writing.
  • Ensure compliance with standard work, federal/state regulations, and company policy.
  • Maintain system records to ensure accurate and timely information/documentation.
  • Consult and partner with third-party administrator, HR, safety, legal, payroll, benefits, team members and other departments/systems as appropriate.

Customer Service Advocate

UnitedHealth Group – Optum Rx
04.2022 - 07.2022
  • Schedule, reschedule, and cancel prescription drug orders using electronic medical record software.
  • Verify and update demographic, insurance, and other patient information.
  • Registering new patients for services.
  • Review patient charts, patient encounter messages, and referral orders.
  • Process prescription drug orders.
  • Resolve and/or escalate customer issues related to: Prescription orders and refills, Orders for specialty services, Escalate calls needing clinical triage, Claims processing; overrides and payments.
  • Confirm caller identify and authorization to receive information under HIPAA rules.
  • Release information only as allowed under HIPAA rules.
  • Conduct three-way calls with medical translators for patients unable to speak the language of an employee.
  • Transfer callers to appropriate department.
  • Communicate with provider offices via electronic messaging and telephone.
  • Launch outbound calls as appropriate.
  • Meet departmental standards for production and quality; Meet departmental standards for schedule adherence.

Virtual Human Resources Specialist III (Temp)

Amazon, Disability and Leave Services
03.2021 - 08.2021
  • Provides case management for all types of leave of absence and disability events.
  • Highly skilled in answering questions, understanding the employee’s situation, applying the appropriate benefits, responding to changing circumstances and needs, and paves the way for a connected and trusted case management experience.
  • Single point of contact for an employee throughout an entire leave of absence or disability event.
  • Initiate and respond to inquiries about leave and disability events, benefits, and options available to employees.
  • Serve as a point of contact for assigned employees (employee cases) to provide holistic case management services, including reviewing medical documentation to adjudicate leaves in compliance with the corresponding leave plans, federal and state laws and benefit plans as defined by Amazon.
  • Leverage duration guidelines, best practice tools and Amazon resources to support oversight of a leave event as appropriate.
  • Critically assess and adjust the case management plan to an employee’s changing needs.
  • Address and respond to sensitive situations.
  • Troubleshoot issues and seek to remove barriers before, during, or after a leave event.
  • Respond to employee impacting issues that may arise during the leave event and ensure the right communication occurs.
  • Identify and solve problems that may arise, sometimes with limited information.
  • Facilitate a smooth return to work and ramp-back plan for employees returning to the workplace.
  • Educate managers and business partners on employee concerns and needs prior to being off or returning to work.
  • Communicate regular updates to employees and stakeholders both verbally and in writing.
  • Ensure compliance with standard work, federal/state regulations, and company policy.
  • Maintain system records to ensure accurate and timely information/documentation.
  • Consult, coordinate, and partner with our third-party administrator, HR, safety, legal, payroll, benefits, team members and other departments/systems as appropriate.

Human Resources Manager

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
06.2013 - 07.2017
  • Manage the day-to-day operations of the BOE Human Resources Department.
  • Conducts business in accordance with the federal election guidelines, the ORC, Policies and Procedures of the State of Ohio, and the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
  • Direct and maintain overall operation of personnel services and develop personnel policy recommendations.
  • Personnel services include employment, benefits, employee relations, classification and compensation, personnel policy administration, and training and development.
  • Confer with administration, department staff and outlying County departments to exchange information on policies and procedures, present new approaches and to monitor actions towards employees to ensure policies and regulations are followed.
  • Advise managers on organizational policy matters, e.g., equal employment opportunity, sexual harassment and recommend needed changes.
  • Respond to employee problems and employment questions from general public and BOE employees.
  • Serves as liaison between management and employees by handling questions, interpreting, and administering policies and helping resolve work-related issues.
  • Provide guidance to employees who seek advice and counsel.
  • Answer questions regarding benefit enrollment process and the Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS).
  • Identify staff vacancies, recruit, interview and select applicants.
  • Confer with management to ensure the timely understanding of current and future workforce needs.
  • Implement improvements to staffing processes, including sourcing and selection.
  • Review employment applications for minimum requirements, verify references, schedules employment interviews, and conducts interviews; evaluate applicants for retaining the best talent for long-term organizational growth.
  • Coordinates development of competitive selection and testing instruments; participates in selection process for new employees; reviews department selections for compliance.
  • Analyze training needs and identify areas of the employee’s learning interest to design employee development programs; to managing the details of establishing a training program to support those goals.
  • Develop new programs to attract and retain staff.
  • Prepare and coordinates training personnel; reviews training program proposals, makes recommendations for new training; reviews training participation reports and evaluations to ensure that training skills are met.
  • Consults with management on BOE standards, policies, best practices, and their impact on the agency.
  • Develop and implement effective cross-functional policies and procedures.
  • Promotes communication vehicles for informing new policies and procedures to personnel.
  • Leads organizational and functional adherence to procedures and policies.
  • Design and negotiate guidelines for policies and standards.
  • Supervise and manage HR staff.
  • Plan, coordinate, assign, and review work in the HR department.
  • Plan, coordinate, assign and review staff’s work.
  • Evaluate and monitor HR staff’s performance and productivity; review and approve requests for leave.
  • Provide instructions to staff and other employees.
  • Recommend selection, transfer, promotion, or discipline of employees.
  • Administers Employment Relations/Labor Relations (e.g. – conduct investigation, hold pre-disciplinary conference, analyze information, and prepare discipline report; run employee AWOL reports; administer FMLA, ADA and Fitness for Duty).
  • Plan, coordinate and execute all employee fundraising efforts, and employee recognition events.

Human Resources Analyst

Cuyahoga County Executive, Department of Human Resources
01.2012 - 06.2013
  • Administers comprehensive personnel program for various departments, with responsibility for a variety of personnel services including employment, benefits, classification and compensation, and personnel policy administration (e.g. – directs and maintains overall operation of personnel services).
  • Administers Employment Relations/Labor Relations (e.g. – conduct investigation, hold pre-disciplinary conference, analyze information, and prepare discipline report; run employee AWOL reports; administer FMLA, ADA and Fitness for Duty; contract negotiations and grievances).
  • Functions as department’s liaison with the County Labor & Employment Division (e.g. – responds to questions from the general public and employees regarding personnel policies and procedures; investigates complaints from department employees; represents department at meetings and conference regarding personnel issues; reviews of staffing levels and processing of personnel actions).
  • Provides personnel services for assigned County departments in the area of employment and benefits (e.g. reviews employment applications for minimum qualifications; verifies references; schedules employment interviews; conducts or witnesses interviews; posts vacancies; prepares personnel requisition forms for vacant positions; contacts recommended applicants with job offer; coordinates completion of employment paperwork by new employee; responds to employment questions from general public and County employees; answers questions regarding benefit enrollment process; serves as liaison with the Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS).
  • Provides classification and compensation services for County (e.g. – prepares and corrects position descriptions or job postings as positions become vacant or change; conducts job audits and makes recommendations; research job classification directory for appropriate classification of new positions).

Personnel Administrator 1

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2009 - 01.2012
  • Administers comprehensive personnel program for various departments, with responsibility for a variety of personnel services including employment, benefits, classification and compensation, and personnel policy administration (e.g. – directs and maintains overall operation of personnel services).
  • Supervises personnel officers and senior personnel officers (e.g. – plans, coordinates, assigns and reviews work; evaluates performance; responds to employee problems; maintains work standards; provides instruction and training; recommends selection, transfer, promotion, or discipline of employees; evaluates performance; reviews and approves request for leave).
  • Administers Employment Relations/Labor Relations (e.g. – conduct investigation, hold pre-disciplinary conference, analyze information, and prepare discipline report; run employee AWOL reports; administer FMLA, ADA and Fitness for Duty; contract negotiations and grievances).
  • Functions as department’s liaison with the County Personnel Department (e.g. – responds to questions from the general public and employees regarding personnel policies and procedures; investigates complaints from department employees; represents department at meetings and conference regarding personnel issues; reviews of staffing levels and processing of personnel actions).
  • Provides personnel services for assigned County departments in the area of employment and benefits (e.g. reviews employment applications for minimum qualifications; verifies references; schedules employment interviews; conducts or witnesses interviews; posts vacancies; prepares personnel requisition forms for vacant positions; contacts recommended applicants with job offer; coordinates completion of employment paperwork by new employee; responds to employment questions from general public and County employees; answers questions regarding benefit enrollment process; serves as liaison with the Public Employee’s Retirement System (PERS).
  • Provides classification and compensation services for County (e.g. – prepares and corrects position descriptions or job postings as positions become vacant or change; conducts job audits and makes recommendations; research job classification directory for appropriate classification of new positions).

Program Officer 2

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2008 - 01.2009
  • Provide administrative support to the Director of Human Resources and seven direct reports in the areas of appointments, calendar management and document preparation.
  • Liaison between staff, other county agencies and outside entities by providing information and responding to inquiries or complaints on behalf of the Director.
  • Manage 900k Corporate Credit Card Program, process monthly billing and their reconciliation, direct vendor relations, track encumbrance balances for 23 County agencies including account adjustments, dispute resolution, and account investigation.
  • Responsible for departmental level budget compliance and budget report compilations.
  • Supervise the activities and assignments of clerical and temporary staff.
  • Provide telephone coverage, approve time sheets/leave requests and staff evaluations.
  • Managed all public records requests from the media or public.
  • Maintain Access database to log requests and send them to the proper agency or department.
  • Prepare redacted documents for distribution.

Administrative Assistant 2/Secretary

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2006 - 01.2008
  • Provide administrative/secretarial support to supervisors, personnel administrators, and managers by providing support in processing cost center changes, personnel actions, and distribution of personnel requisitions including the management of the database.
  • Entered applications into the HRIS system/SAP and applicant tracking.
  • Screen applications for minimum qualifications and the management of the database.
  • Conducted or witnessed interviews; post vacancies; contacted recommended applicants with job offers, coordinated completion of employment paperwork by new employees.
  • Completed wide range of work assignments, monthly and quarterly reports, and general office duties.

Surgical Coordinator/Office Assistant

Cleveland Clinic Foundation
01.1998 - 01.2002
  • Scheduled patient surgeries and appointments.
  • Verified insurance and the registration of patients.
  • Utilized CPT and ICD-9 Coding for surgical procedures.
  • Provided customer service for intra/interdepartmental with staff and clients.
  • Utilized hospital tracking system, reconciled medical billing.

Education

Human Resources Management

Cuyahoga Community College

Medical Office Management, ICD-9 & CPT Coding

Bryant & Stratton Business Institute

Skills

  • HR policies and practices
  • Talent acquisition and onboarding
  • Disciplinary procedures
  • Staff supervision
  • Payroll processing
  • Benefits management
  • Proficient in computer applications
  • Expertise in Microsoft Office Suite
  • HRIS and SAP systems knowledge
  • Experience with Paychex and Kronos
  • Familiarity with FAMIS and BRASS
  • Employee relations
  • Labor relations
  • Policy administration
  • Training development
  • Conflict resolution
  • Organizational development
  • Succession planning
  • Unemployment claims management
  • Recruitment oversight
  • Onboarding and orientation
  • Compensation and benefits
  • Performance assessment
  • Compliance
  • Background checks
  • Employment law
  • System development
  • Corrective action planning
  • Orientation preparation
  • HR leadership
  • HR guidance

Timeline

Manager Human Resources

Increased Behavioral Alternatives (IBA) Support Services
01.2023 - 04.2025

Virtual ERC Human Resources Specialist

Amazon, Employee Resource Center (ERC)
08.2022 - 12.2022

Customer Service Advocate

UnitedHealth Group – Optum Rx
04.2022 - 07.2022

Virtual Human Resources Specialist III (Temp)

Amazon, Disability and Leave Services
03.2021 - 08.2021

Human Resources Manager

Cuyahoga County Board of Elections
06.2013 - 07.2017

Human Resources Analyst

Cuyahoga County Executive, Department of Human Resources
01.2012 - 06.2013

Personnel Administrator 1

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2009 - 01.2012

Program Officer 2

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2008 - 01.2009

Administrative Assistant 2/Secretary

Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners, Office of Human Resources
01.2006 - 01.2008

Surgical Coordinator/Office Assistant

Cleveland Clinic Foundation
01.1998 - 01.2002

Human Resources Management

Cuyahoga Community College

Medical Office Management, ICD-9 & CPT Coding

Bryant & Stratton Business Institute

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Claudia Merritt