DOL Releases Updated Model Employer CHIP Notice The Department of Labor (DOL), through its Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), has released a new model Employer CHIP Notice with information current as of July 31, 2024. As a reminder, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) imposes an annual notice requirement on [...]
Doula Benefits Almost 50% of HR professionals plan to increase family health benefits in the next two to three years, according to virtual women and family clinic Maven’s 2024 State of Fertility & Family Benefits report. Furthermore, nearly 75% of employers acknowledged that family benefits are important to their current and prospective employees. It’s [...]
Federal District Court Blocks the FTC’s Noncompete Ban Employers may continue to rely on state-level guidance regarding the enforceability of noncompetes and monitor additional legal challenges, including a possible appeal by the FTC. On Aug. 20, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas issued an order blocking the Federal Trade [...]
IRS Implementation Guidance on Qualified Student Loan Payment Match Programs On Aug. 19, 2024, the IRS issued Notice 2024-63, providing interim guidance for sponsors of 401(k) and similar retirement plans that provide or wish to provide matching contributions based on qualified student loan payments (QSLPs) made by their participating employees. Background The Consolidated Appropriations [...]
Recent and Upcoming U.S. Supreme Court Cases Employers Should Monitor In its 2023-24 term, the U.S. Supreme Court issued several consequential decisions that will likely have a significant impact on employers. These cases involved federal agency power, discrimination until Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (Title VII), whistleblower retaliation and arbitration. The Supreme [...]
Report Finds Weight Loss Drugs Key Driver of 2025 Health Care Cost Increase A recent Business Group on Health (BGH) survey found that heightened interest and spending on glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs is a major driver of rising health care costs in 2025. Americans’ interest in GLP-1 drugs is increasingly pressuring employers’ budgets. On [...]
Tracking Hours of Work for Remote Employees On Aug. 24, 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued Field Assistance Bulletin No. 2020-5 to remind employers of their obligation to accurately account for the number of hours their employees work away from the employer’s facilities. While the bulletin was issued in response to the [...]
2024 Midyear Employment Law Compliance Trends Throughout 2024, there have been significant changes in employment law at the federal, state and local levels. A review of recent and proposed legislation reveals a number of emerging trends that will affect employers for the remainder of the year. Employers should ensure that they are apprised of [...]
Using Affordability Safe Harbors to Avoid ACA Penalties The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires applicable large employers (ALEs) to offer affordable, minimum-value health coverage to their full-time employees (and dependents) or risk paying a penalty to the IRS. This employer mandate is also known as the “pay-or-play” rules. An ALE is an employer with [...]
U.S. Supreme Court Overrules Chevron Deference On June 28, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo and Relentless Inc. v. Department of Commerce. The Court overruled its 1984 decision in Chevron, U.S.A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council Inc., which held that courts should defer to federal [...]
