COVID-19 legislation is changing the landscape of regulatory compliance for the remainder of 2020. Please join us for this HRCI* and SHRM** pre-approved, complimentary, one-hour webinar as ERISA Consultant, Olivia Ash, JD, reviews details of federal emergency FMLA legislation and covers essential benefit plan considerations impacted by COVID-19. Webinar Details: Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:00pm […]
On Tuesday, March 24, the Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the effective date of the leaves available through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) will be April 1, 2020. Based upon the bill’s original language, the effective date was widely believed to be April 2, 2020. The DOL announced the effective date in […]
Over the weekend, the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the U.S. Department of Labor (Labor) announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief […]
3/25 update, now effective 4/1/2020. The Senate passed The Families First Coronavirus Response Act [H.R. 6201] in the afternoon of March 18, 2020, with a vote of 90-8, and President Donald Trump signed this into law. This Act created a federal paid sick leave requirement for coronavirus needs and expanded the Family and Medical Leave […]
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (the “Act”) in an overwhelming vote on Saturday, March 14, 2020. President Trump has endorsed the legislation and the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on it today. The Act will be the second emergency Coronavirus response measure to be passed. President Trump had previously […]
Today, in IRS Notice 2020-15, the Internal Revenue Service advised that HDHPs (High-Deductible Health Plans) can pay for 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)-related testing and treatment, without jeopardizing their status. This also means that an individual with an HDHP that covers these costs may continue to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). In Notice […]
On January 15, 2020, the Department of Labor (DOL) released its 2020 inflation-adjusted civil monetary penalties that may be assessed on employers for violations of a wide range of federal laws, including: The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA); The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and The Occupational Safety and […]
Think you could pass a pop quiz on FMLA and ADA? It’s typically left out of discussions about employee welfare benefits regulations, so even the most dedicated student may be a little fuzzy on the details. Topics: Essentials for both FMLA & ADA and why they exist Characteristics of each Common questions among benefits professionals […]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, signed into law at the end of December 2017 created a Federal Tax Credit for employers that provide paid family and medical leave to their employees in 2018 and 2019. On September 24, 2018, the IRS issued updated guidance in Notice 2018-71 (the Notice) on Internal Revenue Code […]
We’ve done numerous blogs regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and it always seems to revolve around truly understanding what FMLA covers and how employees are able to utilize it. So, to start off, let’s go over what FMLA covers: FMLA provides certain employees with up to 12 workweeks of unpaid, job-protected leave […]