Regulation

A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction on PPACA’s contraception requirement, saying an employer’s First Amendment rights could be irreparably harmed if the mandate was enforced while a lawsuit was pending.

Fidelity bond premiums can cost a considerable amount. Do you fully understand the kinds of losses covered by the bond or when it is appropriate to provide notice of a loss to a company’s insurer?

Under current guidance, “affordable” health care coverage for a family could get unaffordable fairly quickly, but is total household income even an issue for employers?

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission may launch an investigation into pay discrimination, one legal expert warns — even before formal charges are filed. The agency, as part of the president’s task force on pay enforcement, already is implementing pilot projects to audit employers near New York, Chicago and Phoenix.

Plan fiduciaries are more vulnerable than ever on a lot of legal and regulatory fronts, including the financial statements included with their 5500 filings. In an era when 5500 forms and their attachments quickly enter the public domain online via E-fast 2, available to anyone -- including an enlarged army of DOL inspectors hunting for anomalies, “fiduciaries need to be on the top of their game,” warns Dave Dacey, CPA, a partner with the WithumSmith+Brown and leader of the firm’s Employee Benefit & Pension Plans Group.

Guest blogger John Galvin talks to many employers who express doubt about the likelihood their health and welfare plan could be audited by the Department of Labor. He offers tips and suggestions for ensuring your plans are compliant with ERISA and HIPAA.

Hope is the crutch of an ineffective manager, someone who invites otherwise avoidable litigation.

The U.S. Labor Department suggests that the number of breaks called for in an eight hour shift would "typically" be two or three, but more guidance has been requested on little-known PPACA clause.

ERISA plans, as financial entities, will be required to clear certain over-the-counter swaps (i.e., not executed on an exchange) at a “derivatives clearing organization.”

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requires that swap transactions go through a clearing process. On February 7, 2013, the DOL issued Advisory Opinion 2013-01A that provides clarification.