Position Summary
The Return-to-Work Specialist owns FullBloom's return-to-work (RTW) process across all leave types — workers' compensation, FMLA, ADA, and other personal or medical leaves — and manages the accommodations process for employees recovering from occupational and non-occupational conditions alike. Operating across FullBloom's multi-state footprint, this role partners closely with the Manager of Workers Compensation, the third-party administrator (TPA), and program leaders, and directly oversees coordination with the Leave-of-Absence Specialist to facilitate safe, timely, and compliant return to work. The Specialist serves as a central coordinator of the interactive process, ensuring that transitional-duty opportunities are identified, offered, and documented consistently while safeguarding employee privacy at every step.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
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Administer return-to-work for all leave types — including workers' compensation, FMLA, ADA, and other personal or medical leaves — including identifying suitable temporary assignments, developing written RTW and modified-duty offers, and tracking restrictions through resolution.
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Facilitate the ADA interactive process end to end: evaluate accommodation requests, coordinate reasonable accommodations with managers and program leaders, and maintain thorough, defensible documentation of each interaction.
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Serve as the primary coordination point between employees, managers, the TPA, and the Leave-of-Absence Specialist to align medical restrictions, benefit status, and available duty across all leave types.
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Confirm offer defensibility with the TPA before any employment action tied to an active workers' compensation claim proceeds, and apply the equivalent standard for non-occupational leaves — confirming leave/benefit status with the Leave-of-Absence Specialist before decisions involving job abandonment or separation.
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Ensure all communications comply with HIPAA and ADA requirements — sharing only work restrictions and accommodation needs with managers and program directors, never treatment or diagnosis details.
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Maintain organized case files, RTW offers, correspondence, and status notes, applying consistent documentation and paper-trail discipline across all cases.
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Support tracking of key RTW metrics, including return-to-work rate, modified-duty utilization, and lost-time trends, in partnership with the workers' compensation reporting function.
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Contribute to the development of RTW and accommodation policies, templates, and standard operating procedures as the program matures.
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Provide day-to-day direction to the Leave-of-Absence Specialist, ensuring alignment between leave administration and return-to-work planning for every case.
Required Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree in human resources, disability management, rehabilitation, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
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Three or more years of experience in leave administration (FMLA, ADA, personal/medical leave), workers' compensation, return-to-work, or accommodations coordination.
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Working knowledge of the ADA interactive process, FMLA, and workers' compensation principles across all leave types, including the distinction between occupational and non-occupational leave.
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Demonstrated ability to handle confidential medical information in accordance with HIPAA and ADA requirements.
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Strong written communication and documentation skills, with a proven track record of maintaining clear and defensible records.
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Ability to work independently in a fully remote environment while coordinating across multiple internal and external stakeholders.
Preferred Qualifications
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Experience supporting a multi-state employer, including familiarity with monopolistic-state jurisdictions.
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Relevant certification such as CPDM (Certified Professional in Disability Management), ADA Coordinator credential, or equivalent.
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Experience working with a TPA and an external leave administrator in a coordinated claims environment.
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Background in behavioral health, education, or healthcare settings.
