Accommodations and Leave Consultant (6 month contract)

At Five Below our growth is a result of the people who embrace our purpose: We know life is way better when you are free to Let Go & Have Fun in an amazing experience, filled with unlimited possibilities, priced so low, you can always say yes to the newest, coolest stuff! Just ask any of our over 35,000 crew members who work at Five Below and they’ll tell you there’s no other place like it. It all starts with our purpose and then, The Five Below Way, which is our values and behaviors that each and every crew member believes in.

It’s all about culture at Five Below, making this a place that can inspire you as much as you inspire us with big ideas, super energy, passion, and the ability to make the workplace a WOWplace!

We are seeking an experienced HR, Leave Administration, or Employee Relations professional to lead a project focused on strengthening our employer accommodations and leave of absence programs. This role will build a scalable framework for managing workplace accommodations, conduct a comprehensive audit of paid and unpaid leaves of absence, identify compliance risks and process gaps, and establish sustainable governance for monitoring and implementing future regulatory changes.

The ideal candidate has deep knowledge of leave and accommodation requirements, strong project management skills, and experience developing compliant, employee-centered processes within a complex organizational environment.

Key Responsibilities

Accommodations Framework Development

- Assess current accommodation practices, workflows, documentation, and decision-making processes.
- Design and implement a comprehensive accommodations framework that supports consistent administration and compliance.
- Develop standardized intake, interactive process, documentation, approval, tracking, and communication procedures.
- Create templates, tools, and guidelines for HR, managers, and employees.
- Establish roles, responsibilities, and escalation pathways for accommodation requests.
- Recommend case management and recordkeeping best practices.

Leave of Absence Compliance Audit

- Conduct a comprehensive review of all paid and unpaid leave programs and practices.
- Evaluate leave administration processes for compliance with applicable federal, state, and local requirements.
- Assess coordination between leave, disability, workers' compensation, accommodations, payroll, and benefits administration.
- Identify compliance risks, operational inefficiencies, documentation gaps, and inconsistent practices.
- Provide recommendations and an action plan to address findings.

Process Design & Governance

- Develop standardized operating procedures for leave and accommodation administration.
- Establish processes for reviewing legislative and regulatory changes affecting leave and accommodations.
- Create a sustainable governance model for implementing policy and process updates.

Stakeholder Collaboration

- Partner with HR, Legal, Payroll, Benefits, Employee Relations, and business leaders to gather requirements and validate recommendations.
- Facilitate working sessions and process-mapping exercises.
- Present findings, risks, recommendations, and project updates to leadership.

Documentation & Knowledge Transfer

- Deliver comprehensive process documentation, workflows, and training materials.
- Provide knowledge transfer and training to internal stakeholders to support long-term program ownership.

Qualifications

Required

- Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field, or equivalent experience.
- 5+ years of experience administering or consulting on leave of absence and accommodation programs.
- Strong knowledge of employee leave and workplace accommodation practices.
- Experience conducting compliance reviews, audits, or process assessments.
- Demonstrated ability to design and document HR processes and operational frameworks.
- Strong project management, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred

- Experience supporting multi-state employers and Puerto Rico.
- Experience implementing or improving leave management programs.
- HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, SPHR, or equivalent).
- Experience working with leave administration vendors and HRIS platforms.
- Background in benefits, employee relations, compliance, or employment law.

Deliverables

By the end of the engagement, the consultant will provide:

Accommodations

- Comprehensive accommodations framework and administration model.
- Training and communication materials for HR and key stakeholders.

Leave Compliance

- Audit report assessing paid and unpaid leave compliance and operational effectiveness.
- Gap analysis with prioritized recommendations and risk assessment.
- Standard operating procedures and workflow documentation.
- Sustainable governance process for monitoring and implementing regulatory changes.
- Training and communication materials for HR and key stakeholders.

Explore our benefits site to discover all the perks and support we offer! From health coverage to financial and personal wellness, we've got you covered—check it out today! benefits.fivebelow.com/public/welcome

Five Below is an Equal Opportunity Employer . All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Five Below is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities . If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please submit a request and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. crewservices.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/requests/new

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