Benefits Specialist

Mississauga, ON

The Benefits Specialist supports the Canadian Human Resources team as a subject matter expert to ensure the employee benefit programs are administered in alignment with the company policies and guidelines, as well as compliant with legal and fiscal regulations through specialized administration, data analysis, reporting, and other activities. Company benefits include Health and Welfare and Retirement Savings Plans. Responsible for maintaining the consistency and integrity of employee data within the HR management system through direct data entry and/or audits and work closely with locations to gather data and resolve issues. Contributes to the achievement of the department goals and overall total rewards strategy. The Benefits Specialist will provide recommendations and proposals benefit program improvements that align with employee engagement, wellness, and retaining talent. Additionally, the Benefits Specialist collaborate with the North American Benefits Manager on global projects.

Job Detail:

Act as point of contact to all Canadian Locations, Team Partners, and vendors to research benefit-related inquiries and resolve any claim or benefit discrepancies.
Act as the Subject Matter Expert for area of responsibility and provide recommendations and solutions to improve overall company benefit offerings.
In partnership with Management, oversee vendors and outsourced administrator relationships to ensure they adhere to established processes, meet agreed upon service levels, and promptly address participant issues.
Manage all leaves of absences for Canada and coordinate with vendors on employee claims to ensure accuracy and maintain updated status information, including commencement and end dates; issuance of benefit letters, payment collection and arrears, and administration of payment options for contributions during periods without pay plus application of eligible payments.
Partner with HRIS and IT on benefit/IT projects and in resolving data integrity related to assigned benefit programs.
Maintain awareness of legislation, regulations, and standards related to area of responsibility in order to ensure compliance within area of responsibility.
Maintain awareness of best practices, industry trends, and emerging issues related to area of responsibility.
Maintain a strong grasp on the industry through participation in industry groups, networking with peers and conference attendance to gain insights into trends as well as arrangements of comparable entities.
Participate in ongoing professional development to aid in ongoing knowledge and skills acquisition.
Proactively and independently develop reports and analyses for review by the HR Country Manager and North America Benefits Manager.
Management of accurate data for benefits application, including the weekly integration for insurance carrier (extended health and dental) and RRSP/ DPSP, compliance audits, valuation data and payroll deductions.
Coordinate with HR team members to ensure completion of duties, and communication of changes necessary to maintain accurate data and payroll transactions.
Conduct regular audits of HRIS (i.e., enrolment data, data changes) to ensure alignment with eligibility criteria and other design parameters; ensure premium and budget rates accurately reflected in HRIS.
Develops communications and update applicable materials regarding Health and Welfare, RRSP, and program changes, as well as actively promote and educate benefit plans to workforce.
Develop reports for presentation and communications for awareness or implementation of changes.
Support annual and ad hoc benefits projects as necessary.

Qualifications

Requirements:

Experience:

Minimum of 3 - 5 years of progressive experience in HR with exposure to employee benefits programs implementation and administration.
Demonstrated passion for benefits administration and a working knowledge of benefits regulations.
Experience with HRIS systems (PeopleSoft preferred) and advanced skills in Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook) with demonstrated experience with relational databases.
Ability to manage multiple projects and prioritize work, at times with conflicting priorities with little supervision.
Excellent communication skills (both written, oral, and listening) as well as a high level of diplomacy and confidentiality will be required.
Demonstrated experience providing a high level of customer service to all levels of leadership, including the executive level.
Accuracy and attention to detail in work, proven analytical and problem-solving skills, strong customer service focus.
Working knowledge of Employment Standards in various provinces, Canadian Human Rights Act, and other relevant legislation.
Proven critical thinking skills.

Education:

Undergraduate degree or equivalent experience required.
HR post-graduate designation and/or Certified Compensation Professional (CCP) designation or working towards a designation is preferred; Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation an asset.

Additional Requirements:

Able to travel to the US may be required on occasion.

UniFirst is an equal employment/affirmative action employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to TalentAcquisition@unifirst.com or call to let us know the nature of your request.

UniFirst Recruiters and/or representatives will not ask job seekers to provide personal financial information when submitting a job application. Please be vigilant as such requests for information may be fraudulent.