Nicole Andrea Hinrichs

• Analyze current family benefits, including processes and compare to industry standards
• Recommend and implement new family benefits and/or enhance current family benefits
• Review current policies and recommend changes to Executive Leadership
• Supervisor and support LOA staff
• Develops and maintains successful and productive partnerships with vendors, consultants and brokers in providing effective administration and cost-effective utilization review analysis

• Analyze LOA benefits, including processes and compare industry standards
• Recommend and implement new LOA benefits and/or enhance current LOA benefits
• Review current policies and recommend changes to Executive Leadership
• Supervisor LOA staff
• Develops and maintains successful and productive partnerships with LOA vendors, consultants and brokers in providing effective administration and cost-effective utilization review analysis
• Analyze current COVID policies leave laws and implement across company
• Provide guidance, manage COVID leaves and review vaccination exemptions

• Supervises assigned staff; hires, trains, and develops associates through performance planning, coaching appraisal, and disciplinary efforts
• Communicates company and departmental policies to teammates
• Communicates and administers/enforces company safety practices and procedures
• Coordinates resolution of complex escalated disability, leave of absence, return to work and accommodation cases
• Reviews, updates and ensures consistent documentation of standard practices
• Designs, develops, and maintains trainings for team members, including on-boarding new hires and ongoing training for incumbents
• Understands nuances of LOA and ADA programs; analyzes and balances risk in creating clear guidelines to team on optimized processes
• Clarifies and resolves nuance issues and answers LOA and ADA questions for teammates
• Establishes mechanisms to continuously assess and refine effectiveness in delivering
• LOA and ADA processes, : nicoleeaves@yahoo.com
• Assists Sr
• Manager with analyses and recommendations related to special projects and strategies to improve effectiveness of the team

• Oversees Clinical and Administrative staff (20-25 direct reports) and maintains
• STD/ADA/FMLA case oversight and acts as the critical communication link for all parties in client absence programs including employees, client company, health care providers and internal Reed Group professionals
• Ensures legal compliance and confidentiality, provides timely notifications to employees and client company, reviews documentation for approvals and denials, responds to periodic audits
• Maintains STD/ADA/FMLA and absence information in Leave Pro
• Provides reports detailing essential information on open and closed absences
• Manages and oversees workload, performance management, personnel management and goal setting
• Focuses on the development of staff by working collaboratively with them to develop stretch goals and create opportunities for them to expand their horizons
• Participates appropriately in client meetings and implementations
• Provides weekly updates to management on team progress and focus
• Provides ongoing evaluation of absences in accordance with The Medical Disability
• Advisor information, makes recommendations for second and third opinions when indicated and concurred with by Reed Group clinical staff
• Holds bi- weekly/monthly staff meetings, disseminates company information to staff, and leads team
• Weekly/Bi-weekly side-by-sides with team members
• Reviews reports to identify trends and improve service performance of the team.

· Enhances, improves and delivers training to new hires to ensure that new team members successfully transition from training to production.

· Works collaboratively with the management team and quality assurance team to identify on-going areas of deficiencies, then brings training efforts to bear on those areas to improve performance.

· Works with the compliance team to ensure evolving changes, escalated issues and complex problems are documented appropriately and on-going training is delivered to staff in a timely and appropriate manner.

· Maintains up to date information on Federal and State compliance issues.

· Develops user materials, quick reference sheets and work tools for each client account; maintains current process change documents and trains staff on new process.

· Works collaboratively with senior management to deliver other training as directed.

· Assist management with administrative tasks

· Serve as a go-to person for the clinical and administrative staff

· Identifying topics to discuss at team meetings

· Train new personnel

· See Disability Specialist Roles below

· Review medical documentation for employee’s who are not eligible for Short Term Disability Leave

· Process medical documentation for expectant employees

· Support FMLA and Intake Specialists with work backlog when necessary

· Provide quality customer service by demonstrating diplomacy and professional competency

· Opened Short Term Disability and Family Medical Leave claims

· Managed FMLA claims

· Verified FMLA claims for eligible employees

· Drafted and revised denial letters for Short Term Disability claims

· Tracked FMLA pregnancy claims after termination of Short Term Disability

· Tracked Leave of Absence claims regarding FMLA eligibility

· Trained new personnel

· Answered phone calls

· Initiated Short Term Disability and Family Medical Leave claims

· Completed intake tasks which include faxing medical records and creating and sending approval letters for Short Term Disability

· Drafted and revised denial letters for Short Term Disability

· Processed invoices to Qwest employees

· Trained new hires

· Answered phone calls