Tag: benefits

California

California Cracks Down on Workers’ Compensation Provider Fraud

California’s Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) has made multiple attempts to reduce workers’ compensation costs to employers and to improve compensation paid to workers. One persistent obstacle to cost containment is fraud, and the DIR has poured considerable resources into combating fraudulent worker claims, premium fraud, and most recently, provider fraud. In January, the DIR […]

retirement

DOL Files to Delay Start of Fiduciary Rule

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on February 9 filed a notice delaying the April 10 applicability date of its rule broadening the definition of a fiduciary. The move was expected after President Donald Trump on February 3 signed a memorandum requesting the agency to postpone and re-examine the rule on investment advice.

IRS Limits Excludability of Fixed Indemnity Payments

Payments that an employer makes to an employee under a fixed indemnity health plan must be included in the employee’s taxable income, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently indicated, if the plan premiums were paid by the employer or by salary reduction under a cafeteria plan.

Mastering Tough FMLA Issues: Substitution of Paid Leave

This article series addresses some of the most confusing real world problems surrounding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). In the last installment, we focused on FMLA leave regarding spouses who work for the same company.  In this article, we’ll focus on substituting paid leave for FMLA leave.

COBRA 101

Most HR professionals (and a lot of laymen, too) are at least familiar with Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) in general terms. We know that it gives employees the chance to continue their former employer’s insurance coverage for a while after leaving a job. But what law is this part of? And how long […]

Types of Flexible Work Arrangements

Does your workplace offer any type of flexible work arrangements for employees? Or are your employees requesting more flexible options? With ever-improving technology, more and more jobs can be performed from any location, which opens up a lot of options for employers looking to provide this sought-after benefit for employees. What options are most common?

Settlement Amounts in DOL Enforcement Suits Declined Substantially in 2016, Report Says

Federal government enforcement lawsuits brought by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)—including those centered on Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) violations—continued at an aggressive pace in 2016 but were less effective in terms of number of filings and recoveries when compared with previous years, according to annual report on workplace class action litigation.