Case Study: K&A Engineering

Background

K&A Engineering was founded in 2016, and has become one of the fastest growing engineering firms in the country. They currently employ nearly 400 workers across 40 states, and have employees in Canada and Nepal. Prior to October of 2021, their leave management administration was being handled solely by their Director of Human Resources, Jeanette Potter, PHR. Managing leaves for all their employees became too much for one person, so Potter looked for an outsourcing solution.

Finding a Solution

K&A needed leave management administration services that could:

• Ensure leave management complied with state laws
• Provide a point of contact for leave requests and employee questions
• Meet deadlines for employee leave requests
• Ensure proper paperwork was sent and received on time

A Better Way: HR Consulting from GTM Payroll Services

GTM’s leave management administration service met K&A’s needs and more.

They needed a comprehensive service that could manage all leave requests, while providing them with a point of contact for employees. She also needed to ensure that all policies and procedures were in compliance with federal and state regulations, and to be informed of updates when laws were added or changed.

The Solution
In October of 2021, K&A began outsourcing their leave management to GTM, after reaching out previously to get assistance with creating a new employee handbook. She then learned that GTM could also handle their leave management administration.

“GTM has been tremendous,” says Potter. “They have taken the entire burden of leave management off of us.”

An extraordinarily efficient experience
Outsourcing your employee leave management to experts is an increasingly attractive and time-saving option as businesses struggle to manage the complexities of an ever-changing legal compliance landscape, manage and retain talent, and implement HR best practices that keep employees aligned with business goals. Mid-sized companies may need additional HR resources and assistance but can’t justify hiring a full-time leave management professional. For larger organizations that could have employees in multiple states, the complexity of managing federal and state leave laws can be overtaxing for an HR department.

By utilizing GTM’s leave management specialists, employers get help planning, tracking, and handling employee leaves, including administration, claims management, return-to-work support, and reporting, freeing up valuable time and resources.

“Our representative, Alex, is a lifesaver, and a rock star!” Potter says. “He fields all our employee questions and ensures we keep up with all the different state regulations.”

Leave management services
GTM provides a secure, cloud-based portal for K&A’s employees to open leave requests, from disability and FMLA to ADA and other accommodations, including a new parental leave benefit they launched in 2022, which coincides with their disability and paid family leave policies. GTM then determines eligibility for the leave based on the employee’s tenure and location, and provides the resources necessary to begin the process.

“Our employees can submit their leave requests online from anywhere,” says Potter. “The portal is a huge plus, a big time saver.”

Because all leave activities are documented and stored within a proprietary tracking system, cases are easy to manage, while also providing flexibility as cases can often change. The system also manages multiple workflows for different leave types and allows for customization. GTM’s leave specialists distribute all required notices, follow-up with carrier(s) for approval/denial of claim/case updates, and coordinate return to work with the employee’s manager and HR department.

Exceptional service and support
GTM’s leave management team is available when any issues arise, and alleviates the time-consuming process of handling employee leave requests in-house. Potter also appreciates how much time GTM’s process saves.

“Thankfully Alex handles our FMLA, state disability, voluntary disability, ADA accommodations, and the parental leave,” says Potter. “He keeps us informed and provides great communication.”

Conclusion
With GTM Payroll Services, K&A Engineering receives experienced, accomplished professionals that deliver expert leave management administration, helping to control costs, alleviate administrative burden, and mitigate risk to the company. By streamlining the leave process and improving the employee experience, GTM delivers value beyond expectations.

“I always hear compliments from our employees about Alex and GTM’s leave services,” says Potter. “I am sincerely grateful for the assistance they provide.”