LOA Specialist

What We Do At Applegreen, our mission is to delight customers in transit with passionate hospitality and brands they love. Applegreen is a leading roadside retailer operating high-quality travel plazas and service areas in the US, Ireland, and the UK. Founded on a commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and customer experience, Applegreen combines fuel, convenience retail, and a diverse portfolio of food and beverage offerings to create welcoming destinations for customers. In the U.S., Applegreen partners with major transportation authorities and operates more than 100 service plazas along some of the country�s busiest highways and turnpikes. The company is known for modern facilities, strong national and local food brands, and an emphasis on freshness, quality, and sustainability. At Applegreen, our people are at the heart of what we do. We foster a culture that values teamwork, development, and accountability, offering employees opportunities to grow their careers in a fast-paced, dynamic environment. Applegreen continues to expand while remaining focused on delivering exceptional service to customers and creating a great place to work. Our Core Value Our core values define who we are and guide how we work every day. They shape our decisions, inspire our actions, and influence how we engage with our customers, suppliers, business partners, and one another. Our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we do. We value and develop our people. We are driven by pace, passion and performance. We seek opportunities and embrace change. Benefits You Receive Applegreen offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health and financial well-being of our associates and families. Available benefits include a variety of company-sponsored and voluntary options such as: Hybrid position with three days per week worked in our Glen Rock NJ office location and two days per week worked remotely. Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance Paid Time Off 401 (k) with Company Match Earned Wage Access � Pay on Demand Education Assistance Employee Referral Bonus Pet Insurance What You�ll Do The Leave Specialist is responsible for managing and administering all employee leave programs across a multi-state workforce, including company-sponsored and state-mandated benefits such as Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state disability programs, personal leaves, and other unprotected leave requests. All leave programs are administered internally without the use of a third-party vendor. This role ensures compliance with company policies and all applicable federal, state, and local leave regulations. The Leave Specialist serves as a primary resource for employees and managers throughout the leave process, providing guidance, coordinating leave activities, maintaining accurate documentation, and ensuring timely case management. The position works closely with the Field HR Support Team to deliver high-quality service, meet established service level expectations, and support overall business objectives through effective leave administration and case management. Maintains in-house excel spreadsheets tracking Leaves of Absence and ADA requests. A third-party administrator is not used. Partners with management regarding Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation requests. Provides communication, forms, job descriptions and related information as appropriate per established guidelines. Conducts the interactive process with associates during request for accommodations (both stay at work accommodations and continuous leave as an accommodation) Coordinates State disability program administration as applicable. Ensures coordination with State and/or insurance vendor to achieve correct disability payments for Associates. Completes related audit reports as required. Coordinates workers� compensation claims with regard to timely communications and accurate tracking of status…