Top 10 blogs of 2015
Throughout the year, a number of guest bloggers have provided valuable insights to EBN readers on the complex changes and issues affecting healthcare, retirement and other benefits programs.
Compliance
Lawmakers exploring alternative to DOL fiduciary rule
Seeking an alternative to the DOL's controversial proposed fiduciary rule, some members of Congress are drafting their own proposal that would establish rules for advisers working with savers and plans without the regulatory burdens and litigation risks that critics see in the DOL's plan.
PBGC changes reportable event rules for DB plans
Under new final regulations, which take effect Jan. 1, 2016, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation substantially reduced the reporting requirements for pension plan administrators, sponsors and contributing employers.
Avoid potential traps when updating employment terms in workplace policies
Care must be taken to coordinate your companys efforts to review and revise employment terms. Here are a few common problem areas to which HR and benefit managers should pay particular attention.
Benefits Think Intel lawsuit raises new concerns for plan sponsors
Commentary: A former Intel Corporation employee is suing the company for allegedly breaching its fiduciary responsibilities by investing employees retirement money in risky and high-cost hedge funds and private equity funds.
Brian Menickella
The Beacon Group of Companies
Benefits Think Welfare benefit plans are about more than just the ACA
Commentary: Adviser Jerry Kalish details a list of welfare benefits subject to ERISA that fall outside of health care reform.
Jerry Kalish
National Benefit Services, Inc.
ACA reporting: A must-do for benefit advisers
ACA reporting becomes mandatory in 2016. Preparing employers to be compliant with reporting requirements is a core service that advisers should be offering, industry experts say.
Benefits Think Ease open enrollment stress with advance planning
Commentary: The rapidly evolving regulatory environment has increased benefit and tax complexities for most employees, making the open enrollment decisions more confusing and stressful than ever.
Cindi Van Meir
Benefitfocus
Benefits Think Strictly observed overtime policy best employer offensive
Employers can be vulnerable to lawsuits if they have staff members they think are exempt from overtime rules, but are really not.
Sheryl Smolkin
Sheryl Smolkin & Associates Inc.
State retirement plans get DOL blessing
The Department of Labor issued an interpretive bulletin Monday on open multiple-employer retirement plans, making it easier for states to run these types of plans.
Benefits Think 4 questions plan sponsors are asking about new Form 5500 drafts
Two Form 5500 draft documents released earlier this year suggest the IRS intends to begin collecting retirement plan compliance data on an annual basis from both ERISA-governed and certain non-ERISA plans.
Benefits Think Prompt responses can be the difference between liability, no liability
A recent federal district court from Illinois graphically demonstrates the benefits of a prompt response when an employer receives an internal harassment complaint from an employee.
IRS Chief Counsel: Employer-paid waiting-time penalties arent wages
California, like a number of other states, imposes a penalty on employers who willfully fail to provide a departing employee with his final wages in timely fashion.
By
Koray Bulut
Supreme Court rulings to watch for in 2016
The benefits industry is awaiting several rulings from the Supreme Court of the United States expected in 2016 that could have far-reaching effects on the administration and cost of operating employee benefit plans.
SCOTUS to weigh in on health plan reimbursement case
The Supreme Court heard arguments in Montanile v. Board of Trustees of the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan and will determine if, under ERISA, a reimbursement to an employee benefit plan can be recovered if the beneficiary has already spent the funds he or she recovered from a third party.
SCOTUS to weigh in on health plan reimbursement case
The Supreme Court heard arguments in Montanile v. Board of Trustees of the National Elevator Industry Health Benefit Plan and will determine if, under ERISA, a reimbursement to an employee benefit plan can be recovered if the beneficiary has already spent the funds he or she recovered from a third party.
5 reasons your health plan needs a compliance assessment
The ongoing escalation of complex regulations for health insurance plans has made it extremely difficult for just about every employer to comply. More than five years after passage of the Affordable Care Act, the compliance requirements not only continue to add up, but also to shift around.
Benefits Think Employers need to consider accommodation requests made at any time
Can an employer simply ignore a request by a disabled employee for an accommodation made in a meeting that could lead to the employees termination? A recent federal case from Wisconsin says no.
EEOC to clarify wellness incentive rules under GINA
The Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is issuing a proposed rule today, aiming to clarify how wellness incentives apply to the health information of a spouse participating in an employer-sponsored wellness program.
Benefits Think Is it time to revisit your election leave policies?
While the presidential election is still a year away, employers must be mindful of smaller elections that take place across the state and municipal levels. Elections, however small, may trigger an employers obligations to give employees leave to vote.