Lee Barksdale Email & Phone Number

Greater Chicago Area

Retirement Benefits Specialist reviewing and auditing the retiree’s healthcare, pension, 401(k) and Life insurance programs. Creating and auditing eligibility files for plan administrators. Working with the financial institutions to ensure pension and 401(k) benefits are paid according to the plans provisions. Additional duties being performed include:• Reconciling monthly health and prescription invoices. Reviewing, balancing and updating internal HRIS systems.• Created and monitored death search program to identify payable benefits should an associate pass away. Created and monitored retiree and relative locator process.• Working with internal and third party plan auditors regarding the plans valuation.• Mapping and tracing data from system to system in order to solve a given business or system problem. Filter and “clean” data to provide final reports and recommend system updates.

Greater Chicago Area

Assist with health and Group Benefits Open Enrollment transition to new third party administrator. Assist with identifying and communicating with specific populations on eligible and plan explaining plan options. Assist with creating and mailing of plan communications. Work with insurance carriers on transition of plans and communications with the impacted populations. • Assisted and helped employees with understanding the benefit plan options and completion of the requirements for enrolling and/or changing benefit contracts.• Make sure about the correct accounting of benefits costs and employee compensations • Prepared verbal and written communication to provide information benefits, personal policies and compensation for employees • Served as a liaison for HR managers and employees with escalated inquiries

Lincolnshire, Il

Assist clients with the addressing ERISA claim, appeal, inquiry, and/or complaint process for Health and Group Benefits, Defined Benefits Plans, Defined contribution Plans, Spending Accounts, and/or non-ERISA issues. Research, analyze, and make determinations on claims and appeals for multiple clients, using client-appropriate plan documents and guidelines. Draft and mail individualized response letter to plan participants. Additional responsibilities include:• Complete assigned claims and appeals within ERISA timeframes.• Interact with clients, benefit centers, plan management, advocacy, health plans, and healthcare service providers.• Handle incoming calls related to ERISA concurrent and urgent care claims and appeals. • Identify and implement process improvements to achieve targeted year-over-year efficiency goals.• Maintain high levels of confidentiality.• Develop subject matter expertise relating to the plan provisions and administration• Manage clients to ensure satisfaction with services provided and maintain and grow client relationship.

Oak Brook, Il

Serves as the Benefits Specialist leader for client(s) as their main day to day point of contact. The responsibilities include: provide subject matter expertise in all aspects of administration, Ensuring quality for new implementation and ongoing deliverables, lead client and vendor conference calls including day to day management of client communication, determining root cause analysis and future corrective action for administrative issues, partnering with configuration analysts to address system related issues.Main day to day point of contact for our clients (lead meetings, maintain open issues logs, manage projects, liaison between client and external vendors).Reviews and understands benefit plan rules using information from a variety of sources (i.e. insurance brokers, systems, reference materials, clients, etc.).Build and administer benefit plans within the HR, Benefits and Payroll HRIS systemEvaluate job positions, determining classification, exempt or non-exempt status, and salary. Advise staff of individuals' qualifications.Research claim appeals and other health and welfare related inquiries.Provides Quality Assurance for new or existing change work including implementation and set up of new and revised benefit plans.Performs data analysis on files sent and received by client or other vendors, and understands/documents reporting needs by client or internal parties.Process manual benefit enrollments.Edit and update applicable sections of the Benefits Handbook (i.e., summary plan description) indicating changes as necessary. Audit and reconciliation of benefit plan configuration, enrollments and billing.

Responsible for employee benefit management and maintaining the highest degree of excellence. Working with plan and legal provisions to create the benefit packages. Working closely with the Human Resources team and union representatives ensuring the highest data integrity. Other responsibilities include:Evaluating and implementing disability programs. Research job and worker requirements, structural and functional relationships among jobs and occupations, and occupational trends.Administer employee insurance, pension and savings plans, working with insurance brokers and plan carriers.Assist in preparing and maintaining personnel records and handbooks.Complete manual benefit calculations, and create enrollment and commencement kits.Research employee benefits and recommend changes or modifications to existing policies.Coordinates communication and status reporting, and reviews. Including planning, developing, evaluating, and communicate methods and techniques for selecting, promoting, evaluating, and training workers and offshore teams.Project management and project planning resource management relating to project plans and special tasks. Ensure company compliance with federal and state laws, including reporting requirements.Integral part of team planning and building developing and implementing new systems or existing system improvements. Create ad hoc reports and queries to support management in analyzing, understanding, and presenting results. Perform multifactor data and cost analyses that were used in areas such as support of collective bargaining agreements.Daily coordination with the Human Resources, Customer Service associates and Unions to work on participant cases. Provide advice on the resolution or classification.

Responsible for compiling data for employee benefits administration. Interpreting business requirements into practical applications. Creating and reviewing detailed reports from multiple data sources on audit findings. Other responsibilities include:Administer employee insurance, pension and savings plans, working with insurance plan carriers.Advise staff of individuals' qualifications.Daily involvement in analyzing, evaluating and executing participant issues for long and short-term disability and pension benefits.Evaluate job positions, determining classification, exempt or non-exempt status, and salary.Assist in preparing and maintaining personnel records and handbooks and on-line resources.Ensure company compliance with federal and state laws, including reporting requirements.Consulting and serving as a technical liaison between business, human resources and union officials.Review daily reports identifying participant cases and assign any new cases to specialists to have their situations handled appropriately.Create and send detailed reports to vendors assuring the benefits are being administered appropriately.Complete manual calculations of participant retirement benefits. Perform multifactor data and cost analyses that may be used in areas such as support of collective bargaining agreements.Manage stakeholder reporting; compile information for the reporting to the management teams. Review insurance carrier reports for disability participants identifying the needs of the participant and plan requirements.Integral part of team planning and building developing and implementing new systems or existing system improvements.

Acted as a customer service trainer for new employee orientation and senior Customer Service Representative. I have maintained superior skills in delivering the highest quality service to both internal and external clients. Trained newly hired employees as to their responsibilities, protocols and system applications for being a customer service associate.Train and instruct employees in job duties and company policies or arrange for training to be provided.Organize and develop, or obtain, training procedure manuals and guides and course materials such as handouts and visual materials.Present information, using a variety of instructional techniques and formats.Plan and develop curricula and materials for training programs and conduct training. Confer with customers by telephone or in person in order to provide information about products and services, to take orders or cancel accounts, or to obtain details of complaints.Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, and adjusting bills.Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers' problems.Solicit sale of new or additional services or products.Accept phone calls from clients and address or direct their concerns to the appropriate departments.Process a variety of client requirements including Returns, Lost shipments, Billing issues, General questions, In-House sales.