Tori Whaley, aPHR

Advocate Health

Managed leave of absence department general inquires, answering and researching claims while providing an exceptional employee experience in an organization of 20,000+.

Built and launched a process framework for a longstanding policy, working cross-functionally with management and a third-party vendor to deliver smooth employee payment operations.

Trained team members to navigate and master a complex, multi-step leave of absence process by breaking down difficult concepts into clear, actionable steps.

Audited closed claims, ensuring compliant and complete closure, supporting successful employee transitions back to work.

Established comprehensive SOPs for essential departmental processes, addressing foundational gaps and providing clear guidance for new employees.

Reviewed and updated website content, removing outdated language and aligning updates with standards across business groups.

Developed and launched process improvement teams to address outdated, complex policies, creating actionable tasks from findings to drive measurable change.

Human Resources Coordinator, Leave of Absence

Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits

Delivered compassionate, concierge-level leave guidance to 20,000+ union and non-union employees across 21 states, building trust, reducing confusion, and ensuring a positive experience.

Resolved complex LOA cases with empathy and precision, increasing employee satisfaction and strengthening confidence in HR processes.

Partnered with 50+ executives, HRBPs, and stakeholders in 2023 to navigate challenging leave scenarios while advocating for employees through reasonable accommodations and return-to-work options.

Created user-friendly templates, policies, procedures, and process maps that streamlined HR operations, improved accessibility, and reinforced understanding of technical data.

Collaborated with Legal, Payroll, and Absence Management leadership to ensure compliant, fair, and employee-centered outcomes.

Processed weekly payroll for employees on LOA with 100% accuracy, streamlining workflows to guarantee timely and compliant payments.

Reviewed 2,000+ OSHA files for accuracy and legal adherence, ensuring compliance and mitigating organizational risk.

Facilitated interactive processes with empathy, assessing unique employee needs to deliver equitable outcomes and making separation decisions when necessary.

Liaised with third-party vendors through weekly meetings to address unclear claims, ensure proper handling, and strengthen accountability.

Wrote SOPs, letter templates, and a brochure to aid in understanding technical concepts. Created associated process maps in Visio for SOPs.

North Texas Community Foundation

Included Front Desk Administrator duties plus:

Strengthened internal IT support by learning troubleshooting skills, reducing outside vendor reliance, bringing a chronically over budget line item back within budget.

Partnered with stakeholders to overhaul 30+ outdated policies and procedures, streamlining operations and improving clarity for employees navigating internal processes.

Led cross-functional team to optimize a multi-departmental procedure, reducing procedure completion time.

Developed and cultivated a StrengthsFinder culture by designing team-building activities, creating peer-recognition programs, and facilitating workshops that increased collaboration, employee engagement, and performance alignment with individual strengths.

Trained staff and executives on collaboration best practices for a more inclusive culture.

Selected and implemented video-conferencing hardware for two conference rooms; coordinated install and trained staff.

Handpicked video conferencing equipment, one for primary and another for secondary conference room, overseeing timely installation and training staff.  

Reviewed weekly check deposit reconciliation with Finance to ensure accuracy and transparency.

Championed the recognition of Juneteenth as a company holiday, aligning organizational policies with cultural values and reinforcing employee belonging.

Operations Associate / Employee Experience Specialist

Allied with senior leadership to evaluate employee satisfaction via employee survey I created, shaping strategies that strengthened the workplace culture.

Served as the first point of contact for calls, emails, and visitors, delivering professional, attentive support, ensuring positive experiences.

Designed and led a comprehensive employee experience program spanning development, recognition, events, and retreats that reduced turnover by more than 60%.

Welcomed and onboarded new hires, streamlining system setup and acting as a trusted resource.

Orchestrated company events end-to-end successfully, including planning, logistics, vendor coordination, and on-site management, renforcing comapny dedication to staff.

Streamlined administrative operations by improving organization systems, optimizing database management, supporting projects which improved team productivity, all enhancing the employee experience.

Guided employees through complex LOA cases with compassion and precision, improving satisfaction and trust in HR processes.

Ensured accuracy of a 20,000+ contact CRM, enhancing reporting reliability and supporting data-driven decision making.

Enhanced workplace efficiency and culture by maintaining supply chains, managing kitchen and reception needs, and ensuring clean, welcoming common areas.

Served as primary liaison for vendors and building partners, fostering strong relationships, addressing concerns proactively, and ensuring timely resolution of all issues.

Created a sense of camaraderie and inclusion during the challenges of COVID through online events and activity groups.

Front Desk Administrator / Employee Experience Specialist

As a single mom I wanted to be present for my son. I traded marketing plans for a brush and bowl, becoming a hair colorist, spending most of my years at Neiman Marcus. A meticulous, creative problem solver, I actively listened to clients and provided white glove customer service. 

Trained regularly locally and attending conferences across the USA including New York City.	

Developed personal brand through customized processes and design as well as targeted customer experiences.

Utilized social media including Instagram and Facebook to drive business through examples of work.

Entrepreneur - Hair Color Specialist, Corporate Break

The HR team player you wish you had. People Champion | Leave & Accommodation Ninja | Employee Experience Passionista | Dazzling Communicator | Strategic Business Writer | Policy & Procedure Developer

I spent 15 years as an elite hair colorist in top Dallas salons, including Neiman Marcus, where I learned how to listen, earn trust, and deliver unforgettable experiences.

Today I bring that same mindset to my next company. I know that when employees feel supported, they create better customer experiences, and when customers feel valued, the business thrives.

I’m at my best tackling tough projects, solving problems others avoid, and building programs that make a real impact.

If you want someone who understands how employee and customer experience work together to drive success, let’s connect.

Benefits & Absence Management Partner

• Advocate for employees during the FMLA & ADA process
• Oversee FMLA & ADA process in over 20 states, including New York, Washington, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
• Collaborate with regional and local teams to ensure employees are safe and under state and local laws
• Work with unions to ensure employment agreements are being applied
• Manage a spreadsheet detailing all active, future, worker's compensation, and modified work. 
• Calculate wages for employees on leave, submitting to payroll weekly
• Initiate and administer the employee separation process

Oxford Road

Media Coordinator

Writing projects for various industries, ranging from small documents to larger periodicals.

Freelance Writer

GovDocs, Inc

Trained customers on various software related to employment law and compliance. Helped them use a variety of tools to gather data and information regarding local, state, and federal regulations.

*Helped take the standard implementation time from 3 weeks to 1 by simplifying implementation structure and improving client clarity when it came to required documents and next steps.

*maintained a 97% satisfaction rating with onboarding customers

Implementation Coordinator

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Helped students who lived within University Housing and were either diagnosed with COVID-19 or exposed to someone who was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Isolation Housing Adminstrative Assistant

Assisted guests and other members of the UW family while attending various sporting events.

Guest Services Representative

The Home Depot

Managed anything that was special ordered into the store by customers, ranging from single items to large installation projects.

-Created a smoother process for the sales team to follow that led to a reduction in errors
-Created a system of better standards and practices for the office that allowed for better customer communication and established a communication pattern between members
-Worked with upper management to identify problems with company policies and programs that were heavily impacting store success

Custom Order Specialist

Lowe's Home Improvement

Managed installations ranging from single appliance installations to large, multi-part installations.

Installed Sales Coordinator

The Badger Herald

Covered sports for one of the largest Big Ten athletic programs. Focused on the equity of coverage between sports and focused on pieces about student athletes with concentrations on diversity and disability coverage. 

-Trained and manage staff each semester on best practices and AP knowledge 
-managed 25 online pieces and 8 print pieces weekly for production
-Focused on covering men's and women's sports equitably and having full coverage for as many sports as possible.

Sports Editor

I am passionate about helping people, whether that is through highlighting some innovation that will make their lives better, or perhaps through telling a story. I enjoy getting to meet people and finding out what it is that makes them tick. I also love trying to find a better way to solve a problem. 

When I am not trying to delve deeper into issues, you can usually find me hanging out with my family, trying to get some semblance of a suntan, or annoying my cat. I have also been known to make people laugh occasionally, and I enjoy finding new jokes to tell.

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The Battle

Tori Whaley, aPHR

Kristen Larson

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