LAURA BYRD
Newark,NJ
Summary
Talented HR Manager with 10 years of HR experience. Skilled at motivating and building positive relationships with employees. Excellent interpersonal, coaching and communication skills. Versatile HR professional with background managing areas such as employee leaves, benefits, and full cycle recruitment.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
HR Manager
Essex County College
03.2023 - Current
- Supervise HR staff
- Manage departmental time and attendance
- Manage planning, coordination, initiatives, and administrative functions of HR operations
- Manage processing of Worker’s Comp claims, FMLA requests, ADA Accommodations, and Sick Bank requests
- Manage employee relations, employee engagement, and assist with investigations
- Manage full cycle recruitment
- Partner with HR leadership to understand and execute HR and talent management strategies
- Develop standard operating procedures
- Source and create learning and development programs and initiatives that provide internal talent development
- Conduct new hire orientation
- Certifying Officer for location
HR Coordinator
Mercer County College
03.2023 - Current
- Manage and administer leave requests in accordance to state and federal laws
- Develop standard operating procedures related to leave management
- Create templates/communication used to respond to employees requesting various leave types
- Advise employees on leave laws and best practices to accommodate their needs
- Ensure employees medical documentation is received to support leave request
- Assist Benefits Coordinator as needed
HR Generalist
Essex County College
07.2021 - 02.2023
- Managed employee leaves, Workers Compensation claims, Time and Attendance, fit for duty, pre-employment screenings; along with COVID protocol and responses
- Acted as Benefits Manager in absence of incumbent and oversight of departmental functions
- Administered employee benefits and pensions enrollments in accordance with statutory requirement and college policy
- Administered FMLA according to state and federal laws, while factoring in additional benefits pursuant to collective bargaining unit contracts and Board policy.
- Provided employee support and guidance on matters related to benefits, leaves, investigations, separations, time and attendance, customer service training, Safe College LMS and other areas
- Initiated insurance claims upon the death of employee for supplemental life policies
- Completed unemployment claims requests
- Conducted interactive process for Reasonable Accommodation Requests
- Researched vendors that provide long term disability options as well as leave management systems
HR Temp
Essex County College
11.2020 - 06.2021
- HR liaison to Covid19 Task Force, conducted on campus contact tracing and reporting of positive cases to NJ Department of Health
- Communicated with various levels of management regarding COVID employee status
- Facilitated leaves and reasonable accommodations in accordance with FFCRA, FMLA and NJFLA
- Worked on Post COVID Return-To-Work procedures through communication and ensuring adherence to college policy/procedure
- Spearheaded project to identify and secure on-site COVID testing vendor
- Assumed additional responsibilities related to time and attendance, leave administration and other areas due to loss of an HR team member
HR GENERALIST
MCCARTER & ENGLISH LLP
01.2019 - 07.2020
- Benefits administration which included new hire orientation, onboarding, enrollment of new hires in benefit plans, resolved employee benefit claim issues, enrolled retirees in medical and prescription plans, completed severance agreements, created COBRA packages for exiting employees
- Worked with third party vendor to properly document employees on Short Term and Long-Term Disability
- Served as liaison between all benefit brokers/benefit carriers, and employees
- Managed implementation of third-party services i.e EAP, 457plan, Long Term Care plans
- Researched vendors that provide long term disability options as well as leave management systems
HR GENERALIST
DREW UNIVERSITY
05.2018 - 01.2019
- Completed new hire on-boarding process and issued employee training via Safe Colleges
- Composed and/or reviewed offer/change in status letters
- Entered/Updated employee data via ADP and Banner
- Managed part-time staff, interns, and work study students
- Created reports via Argos
- Posted job postings via WordPress content management system
- Conducted employment related background screenings
BENEFITS SPECIALIST
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE
04.2013 - 05.2018
- Enrolled employees in medical, dental, and pension programs, and informed them of benefit changes
- Maintained reports for the New Jersey Division of Pensions and related benefits carriers
- Completed periodic audits and reconciled monthly insurance statements
- Custodian of benefit files and conducted exit interviews as needed
- Prepared retirement applications and completed COBRA packages for exiting employees
- Assisted Benefits Manager with coordination of annual benefits fair
HR Assistant
Essex County College
04.2013 - 06.2015
- Processed new hire personnel actions including I-9 employment authorizations through E-Verify
- Maintained employee profiles using Banner, HRIS
- Rated employee evaluations and met with managers to create improvement plans for employees who were not meeting goals
- Wrote job descriptions, conducted search committees, lead interviews and prepared offer letters
- Vetted applications using PeopleAdmin
- Managed pay form entries to ensure timely and accurate pay for personnel
- Evaluated instructor transcripts
- Completed requests for pre-employment screenings and background checks
- Completed employment verification and unemployment claim forms
- Processed tuition waiver and reimbursement requests
- Assisted with preparation of monthly Board of Trustees packet
Education
Bachelor of Science - Human Resources Management
Berkeley College
Little Falls, NJ12.2014
Associate of Science - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Essex County College
Newark, NJ05.2008
Skills
- Grievance Handling and Redressal
- Biweekly Payroll Processing
- Benefits Programs
- Unemployment Claims
- Employee Referral Programs
- Kronos Timekeeping
- Best Practices and Methodologies
- New Employee Orientation
- Exit Interviews and Processes
- Talent Review
- Talent Management
- Retirement Programs
- Onboarding, Training and Development
- Recruitment and Hiring
Timeline
HR Manager
Essex County College
03.2023 - Current
HR Coordinator
Mercer County College
03.2023 - Current
HR Generalist
Essex County College
07.2021 - 02.2023
HR Temp
Essex County College
11.2020 - 06.2021
HR GENERALIST
MCCARTER & ENGLISH LLP
01.2019 - 07.2020
HR GENERALIST
DREW UNIVERSITY
05.2018 - 01.2019
HR Assistant
Essex County College
04.2013 - 06.2015
BENEFITS SPECIALIST
ESSEX COUNTY COLLEGE
04.2013 - 05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Human Resources Management
Berkeley College
Associate of Science - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
Essex County College