Paralegal/Legal Assistant 1- 20067589

Paralegal/Legal Assistant 1- 20067589

A Little About Us:
With roughly 1,600 employees in 11 offices across Ohio, BWC is the state agency that cares for Ohio workers by promoting a culture of safety at work and at home and ensuring quality medical and pharmacy care is provided to injured workers.

For Ohio employers, we provide insurance policies to cover workplace injuries and safety and wellness services to prevent injuries.

Our Culture:
BWC is a dynamic organization that offers career opportunities across many different disciplines. BWC employees strive to maintain an inclusive workplace. We begin by being an equal opportunity employer. Employees can participate in and lead employee resource groups, participate in online forums discussing society’s impact on our services and workplace, and learn about how different perspectives can improve leadership skills.

Our Vision:
To transform BWC into an agile organization driven by customer success.

Our Mission:
To deliver consistently excellent experiences for each BWC customer every day.

Our Core Values:
One Agency, Personal Connection, Innovative Leadership, Relentless Excellence.

What our employees have to say:

BWC conducts an internal engagement survey on an annual basis. Some comments from our employees include:

• I have worked for BWC for 27 years and it has been a positive experience. I have worked with a wonderful group of people from management down to my co-workers.
• So much opportunity for growth here, the leadership from top to bottom is stellar, the employees have pride in our agency - a great place to work!
• Coming up on 30 years and still love what I do and where I work!

I find BWC to be a dynamic agency that not only provides a much-needed public service, but also has a culture of learning and development where employees are encouraged to be a part of the agency as a whole.

If you are interested in helping BWC grow, please click this link to read more, and then come back to this job posting to submit your application!

BWC is currently operating under a hybrid schedule that may incorporate both teleworking and in-person office hours. Employees must be able to report to the office when requested by management &/or for their initial job training.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Assisting settlement attorneys.
• Preparing responses & related legal materials for review, approvals, signatures &/or use by Director & departmental attorneys.
• Providing support & assistance with obligations mandated by & set forth within, Sub. HB27 (i.e., requirement for BWC to Process requests to settle appeals from decisions of the Ohio Industrial Commission [IC] before appeals proceed to the Court of Common Pleas).
• Reviewing workers' compensation claim files.
• Drafting summaries & memoranda to support settlement evaluations of workers' compensation claims.
• Providing support to the Litigation Manager in responding to discovery requests and subpoenas.
• Reaching out to the appropriate business unit to obtain responsive records, catalogues records, reviews, redacts, & assists in production of records, drafts summaries of discoverable material.

What’s in it for you:
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

Medical Coverage

• Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans.

Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance

• Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period. Length of eligibility period is dependent on union representation.

Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance

• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave
• 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth/Adoption leave

Employee Development Funds

• The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System

• OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee’s salary. Visit the OPERS website for more information.

Deferred Compensation

• The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website for more information.

EEO & ADA Statement:
The State of Ohio is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of applicants or employees due to protected classes as defined in applicable federal law, state law, and any effective executive order.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation in its employment opportunities pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation due to disability, please contact ADA Coordinator Kathleen Bourke at 614-644-7811 or by email to: eeodept@bwc.state.oh.us.

To Qualify, You Must Clearly Demonstrate:

• Successful completion of certification program for paralegal or legal assistant.
• Or 12 mos. law school training.
• Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualification for Employment noted above.
  Job Skills: Attorney/Legal
  Professional Skills: Attention to Detail, Customer Focus, Confidentiality

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

Major Worker Characteristics:
Knowledge of legislative/administrative rule processes*; legal research; legal terminology; legal issue recognition; case & statutory interpretation; legal analysis; law; state &/or federal laws & rules applicable to assigned department*; court filing procedures; legal communication; rules of evidence; Sub. HB27*; IC*; AG*.
Skill in use of office equipment (e.g. photocopiers, personal computers)*; BWC software*; workers’ compensation databases & computer systems*.
Ability to use proper research methods in gathering data; deal with many variables & determine recommended specific course of action; prepare legal/procedural materials & related information for review, approval & signature &/or use attorney; handle sensitive & routine inquiries from & contacts with public, legal personnel & business officials.

(*) Developed after employment.

BWC OCSEA Selection Rights:
This position shall be filled in accordance with the provisions of the OCSEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. BWC bargaining unit members have selection rights before non-bargaining unit members. All other applications will only be considered if an internal bargaining unit applicant is not selected for this position.

Salary Information:
Hourly wage is expected to be paid at step 1 of the pay range associated with the position for candidates who are new employees of the state. Current employees of the state will be placed in the appropriate step based on any applicable union contract and/or requirements of the Ohio Revised Code. Movement to the next step of the pay range (a roughly 4% increase) will occur after six months, assuming job performance is acceptable. Thereafter, an employee will advance one step in the pay range every year until the highest step of the pay range is reached. There may also be possible cost of living adjustments (COLA) and longevity supplements begin after five (5) years of state service.

Transportation:
Position may require travel; therefore, persons occupying this position must be able to provide own transportation &/or legally operate a state-owned vehicle.

Educational Transcripts:
For any educational achievements to be considered during the screening process, you must at least attach an unofficial transcript that details the coursework you have completed.

All applicants must submit an Ohio Civil Service Application using the online Ohio Hiring Management System. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Prior to an offer of employment, the final applicant will be required to sign a background check authorization form and undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position.