ERISA
Employer-Sponsored Retirement and Health Plans: What You Need to Know for Year-End
Who Needs to Know – U.S. Employers, particularly HR personnel; Retirement Plan Sponsors and Administrators. Why It Matters – While year-end is ordinarily a busy time for companies, the number of COVID-19-related pieces of legislation and developments present additional items employers and plan sponsors must address in wrapping up 2021. As we approach the 19th month of…
Read MoreAfter COVID-19, Emergency Savings May Be Even More Important for Benefit Plans
The pandemic-induced recession has forced many to access their long-term savings to combat short-term financial pressures, according to numerous sources. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, retirement preparedness and financial health were common concerns for U.S. workers. Now, a recession has forced many to dig into their long-term savings for short-term needs. Federal lawmakers recognized that…
Read MoreFiring Allegedly Motivated by Medical Bills
A court ruled that an employee’s termination for apparently violating an employer’s no-call, no-show policy may have been motivated to free the employer from the significant medical bills of the employee’s son, which arguably would violate the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). The employee took medical leave from his position at Atlas Industries for…
Read MoreTaking Advantage of Your Summer Break – Revisit, Refresh, and Review
Handbooks. The mere mention of the company handbook typically sends HR professionals into a furious search for any project other than the company handbook. Sorry, I can’t work on the company handbook, I have to watch the paint dry in my office. For this reason, beyond passing them off during perfunctory onboarding, handbooks typically get…
Read MoreNew ERISA Claims Procedures for Plans Providing Disability Benefits Effective April 1, 2018
HIGHLIGHTS: Administrators of employee benefit plans governed by ERISA should make sure now that the claims procedures contained in their affected benefit plans comply with new regulations applicable to disability benefits. The new regulations, intended to ensure the independence and impartiality of plan decision-makers when determining disability benefit claims, are effective for any claims filed…
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