Benefits - General

Employers often target benefit offerings to specific groups of workers—think dependent care accounts or student loan repayment matching contributions—so maybe it was inevitable.

Earned wage access (EWA) is a term often heard among employers in the retail and hospitality industries. EWA may be referred to as instant pay, earned income, early wage access, accrued wage access, or on-demand pay.

On September 14, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Employee Retention Credit (ERC) guidance placing a moratorium on processing new ERC claims due to a surge in questionable claim submissions.

The Internal Revenue Service announced on September 14 that it was “increasingly alarmed” about potentially abusive submissions for tax credits under the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), which is a tax credit passed in conjunction with relief promulgated under the CARES Act. Citing a backlog in revi

To the relief of plan sponsors everywhere, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently issued Notice 2023-62, which provides guidance on the requirements of Section 603 of the SECURE Act 2.0 of 2022 relating to catch-up contributions. Specifically, Section 603 otherwise requires that catch-up contri

On April 28, 2023, the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel released guidance reiterating claims substantiation rules for health flexible spending arrangements (health FSAs) under Internal Revenue Code Section 125 and frowning upon certain substantiation practices that seem to have cre

It could not be any clearer to employers that compliance with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 will be a—maybe the —top health and welfare benefit priority for federal regulators for years to come.

On July 1, 2023, after a long delay, mandatory withholdings for the WA Cares Fund finally took effect. The WA Cares Fund is a state-run, long-term-care insurance program requiring employers to pay premiums through a mandatory payroll deduction from all employees who have not provided proof of an exe

Employers have some new clarity on the No Surprises Act rules on out-of-network providers and charges under new guidance from the U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Department of the Treasury, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Withdrawal liability is a major concern for many employers with collectively bargained operations. While special rules applicable to the construction industry can limit the circumstances under which liability can be imposed, they do not eliminate it entirely. Recent case law on the interest rate ass

Employers facing a June 1, 2023, deadline for 2022 prescription drug cost reporting have important new clarification on issues such as plans that cover more than one employer, average monthly premium calculations, and medical plans that carve out prescription drug benefits.

Benefits beyond the usual medical, dental and vision will continue to occupy HR ideas and initiatives in 2023. Jackson Lewis principals Joy Napier-Joyce and Melissa Ostrower note that employers will be proactive, formalizing and distributing policies focused on both retention through benefits and re

The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 included in the omnibus spending bill includes five significant changes for employers and plan sponsors:

Employers have a reprieve from the challenging December 27, 2022, deadline for reporting 2020 and 2021 prescription drug cost information to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Earlier this year, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2022-23, which extended the deadline to make certain amendments pursuant to the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act of 2019, the Bipartisan American Miners Act of 2019 (Miners Act), and the Coronavirus

Qualified retirement plans will experience unusually sharp increases to compensation and contribution limitations for 2023 compared to adjustments in recent years. On October 21, 2022, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2022-55, providing the 2023 calendar year cost-of-living adjustm

Many employers have already claimed millions of dollars in tax credits through the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC). Those employers that have not yet claimed (or incorrectly claimed) any ERTC may still do so retroactively by filing amended payroll tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021.

The Biden administration announced several student loan debt relief measures on August 24, 2022, including an extended loan repayment moratorium through December 31, 2022, and debt cancellation that will be available near the end of the year.

On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) (P.L. 117-169), a budget reconciliation act focused on tax reform, climate change, and healthcare costs. One notable provision of the IRA for employers is the expansion of coverage of insulin under high ded

For the second time in six months, frequently asked question (FAQ) guidance from federal regulators is calling attention to the requirement that employer-sponsored health plans provide coverage for women, without any cost sharing, for the full range of contraceptive methods approved by the U.S. Food