Compliance & Policy

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

July 28, 2023

The Filer Support Message Center, which is a help desk that provides support and assistance to help people submit filings online, will open on Halloween as well.

September 25, 2023

In the wake of a lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson (J&J) for alleged breach of fiduciary duty in their benefits planning, employers nationally are reassessing their own vulnerabilities. This case, which accuses both the benefits planning committee and individual HR leaders of overpaying on pharmacy costs, has sent ripples through the corporate world, highlighting the potential for similar legal challenges.

February 18, 2024

In 2024, the income-to-affordability threshold above which health coverage will be considered unaffordable will be decreased from 9.12% of the employee's annual income to 8.39%.

September 15, 2023

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has extended the deadline for healthcare workers in 25 states to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to May 30, 2022. The extension was made due to the ongoing legal challenge by healthcare workers and others who oppose the vaccine mandate.

December 16, 2022

According to research from Coalition Inc., there will be a substantial increase in the amount of publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities within the next year.

February 3, 2023

Last month, the Department of Labor issued a field bulletin to ...

March 2, 2023

The US Department of Labor announced a new nationwide campaign to increase awareness about the challenges faced by nursing workers in trying to express breast milk during work hours. 

August 18, 2023

More than 4 in 10 employees expressed their desire to be automatically enrolled in an emergency savings program through their employer, although only about 10% of companies offered emergency savings funds as of the most recent data available.

November 14, 2023

This newly enacted rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Board increases disclosure requirements for employers who reject job applicants after obtaining their credit reports.

May 25, 2023

Telehealth has become a fixture of modern medical interaction, but some of the rules and pandemic-related exceptions that made telehealth feasible and ubiquitous are set to expire barring additional legislative intervention.

April 14, 2023

Family and Medical Leave Act complaints and the the total amount of back wages owed by companies as a result both appear to be on a downward trajectory, with a signifiant drop last year.

March 30, 2023

Companies are reporting their ESG performance in a range of ways, reflecting the increasing importance of ESG factors in investment decisions and corporate decision-making. These reporting practices aim to provide greater transparency and accountability for companies' ESG performance, which is increasingly important for investors and other stakeholders.

Worker's compensation insurance provides a significant number of benefits to both employers and their workers, beyond what many realize.

May 26, 2023

The Internal Revenue Service recently clarified the primary factors that determine whether a worker should be classified as an employee or as an independent contractor. 

November 30, 2023

Given the amplification powers of the internet and social media, employment practices liability is becoming more important than ever, but coverage alone isn't sufficient to minimize exposure without also implementing best practices and optimizing the effectiveness of your internal policies on professional conduct.

March 27, 2023

Employers who have verified job applicants' employment eligibility via virtual platforms during the pandemic must complete in-person verification by August 30, 2023.

May 24, 2023

The IRS has issued a few new rules and clarifications, including that beginning in 2024 all employers submitting 10 or more forms must file electronically.

Health savings account contribution limits rose by a little more than 7%, while high deductible health plan deductibles and out-of-pocket caps went up a little less than 7% and a little more than 7%, respectively.

May 23, 2023

UnitedHealth is facing a potential class action lawsuit alleging their usage of an artificial intelligence programs that denies claims on faulty grounds has resulted in multiple deaths.

November 21, 2023

A recent lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson brings to light uncharted legal territory concerning employer fiduciary duties related to employee health plans. Alleging overpayment for prescription drugs, this class action suit not only challenges Johnson & Johnson but also targets individual members of its Planning & Benefits Committee. This landmark case raises important questions about the scope of fiduciary duty under ERISA, extending beyond retirement benefits to encompass employee health plans.

February 9, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

April 28, 2023

‍Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

April 26, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

August 31, 2023

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

July 31, 2024

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

December 29, 2023

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

February 29, 2024

‍Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

January 26, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

July 1, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

June 30, 2023

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

June 3, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

March 29, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. ‍

May 30, 2023

‍Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

November 29, 2023

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

November 1, 2024

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

October 29, 2023

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources

October 1, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources. 

September 30, 2023

Each month, Mployer collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

September 4, 2024

Each month, Mployer Advisor collects and presents some of the most relevant and most pressing recent changes in law, compliance, and policy in areas related to employee benefits, health care, and human resources.

March 31, 2023

The election cycle and an increasingly empowered federal judiciary have resulted in a fair amount of activity on the regulatory front over the last year.

October 6, 2024

Taking a look at some of the most significant and impactful cases involving business and labor issues that the Supreme Court is hearing this term.

October 18, 2024

2 recent Supreme Court rulings foretell significant changes likely in store for longtime federal regulatory practices/authority, enabling new challenges to old laws and eliminating deference to the statutory interpretations made by the regulators.

July 19, 2024

A new rule that was recently proposed by the DOL would increase the minimum salary thresholds above which employees can be exempted from minimum wage and overtime laws. 

September 7, 2023

Paid Family & Medical Leave rights were just signed into law in the land of 10,000 lakes.

June 6, 2023

Minnesota has become the 12th state (including Washington DC) to enact mandated paid family and medical leave, and Maine appears to be close behind. 

July 18, 2023

The National Labor Relations Board has clarified a decision it made last month that favors employee rights over employee considerations in severance agreements and can even be applied retroactively.

March 29, 2023

This latest ruling from the NLRB returns greater leeway to employees who may undertake some abusive behavior or speech in the heat of the moment during otherwise protected activity.

May 8, 2023

The Department of Labor has released its latest Fair Labor Standards Act poster which includes a couple relevant updates.

May 22, 2023

A new rule from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) will make it illegal to take most medical debt into account when calculating credit scores

June 24, 2024

Obtaining and renewing cybersecurity insurance may not always be as simple as submitting all the necessary paperwork.

June 2, 2023

A new rule from the Department of Labor requires employers in industries with high hazard rates to provide OSHA with injury and illness data directly via electronic submission beginning on January 1, 2024.

August 1, 2023

In the final week of July, a joint effort between the Treasury Department, Department of Labor, and Department of Health and Human Services produced some analysis and guidance to help companies comply with the MHPAEA.

August 14, 2023

New model legislation seems poised to set a new standard for how employees and employers report, manage, and prevent psychological abuse at work.

November 28, 2023

Several changes to Federal Law including updated mileage reimbursement rates and workplace safety standards took effect January 1st, 2024.

January 2, 2024

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is hosting panel meetings this summer to gather insight from willing small businesses and their representatives about how to best craft new standards to minimize heat-related illness and injury in the workplace.

June 23, 2023

A judge has ruled that a class action suit may proceed in this case, allowing a small number of defendants to represent all the other victims of the same illegal practices that are alleged in the lawsuit, which significantly increases the scale of potential damages that the company faces should the employee plaintiffs prevail.

June 15, 2023

Provide tangible benefits to your employees directly and reduce your company's overall tax burden all at the same time.

May 10, 2023

Last week, in the case of Navy Yard Hospitality Corp v. NLRB, the Supreme Court ruled that employees who are paid a daily rate for their work are owed overtime pay when their work exceeds 40 hours in a given week.

March 2, 2023

The Supreme Court has released a decision that will make it significantly more difficult for employers to deny employee requests for religious accommodation. 

August 7, 2023

Tis the season for tax returns. We are about 30 days away from the perennial IRS due date. More than half of individuals file their annual federal income tax returns before April 1st, with the majority of the remaining filers submitting during the first two weeks of April, while approximately 5%request an extension to file until October 15th, according to a Tax Attorney Dail study in 2019. According to IRS data, roughly 10% of individuals do not file their taxes, though it's possible that the actual number is even higher. Despite the sheer number of non-filers, some may evade detection, but with modern technology, it is becoming increasingly challenging to remain undetected by the IRS indefinitely.

March 16, 2023

There are a number of different strategies that employers, human resources professionals, and plan administrators may wish to consider adopting in order to maintain above-board benefits management and avoid ERISA complaints as well as the accompanying legal expenses.

July 25, 2023

Federal agencies are joining forces to crack down on child labor violations across the US.

March 31, 2023

There are just 26 business days left not only to make sure your organization is up-to-date with state and local election rules governing employee voting leave requirements, but also to communicate and coordinate your Election Day plans with employees in order to ensure the minimal disruption to your workflow.

September 29, 2024

Last month, the Federal Trade Commission issued a new rule that invalidates non-compete agreements for the vast majority of employment contracts, reducing the percentage of the employees subject to non-compete agreements from almost 20% of the workforce to less than 1%

June 10, 2024

Even among states with some paid leave requirements, the nature and degree of those requirements can vary significantly, with some states adopting relatively minimal paid leave requirements and others with paid leave laws that are significantly more involved and comprehensive.

July 11, 2024

Laws and regulations that mandate paid leave for employees in certain circumstances can vary widely from state to state, from circumstance to circumstance, and even within a given state.

July 11, 2024

On January 13, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to block the Biden administration’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) vaccine mandate that targeted large employers.

December 16, 2022

Companies that meet any of the following conditions must begin filing EE01 reports beginning this summer.

April 6, 2023

When implemented at the federal level, universal paid sick leave can reap far-reaching benefits that go well-beyond employers and their employees.

May 16, 2023

On August 1st, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services released an updated Form I-9, which includes some substantial changes to structure, format, and submission procedures and options.

August 9, 2023

With many special, pandemic-related rules and rules exceptions now having come to an end, it's a good time to make sure your compliance policies are up to date.

April 25, 2023

While workers' compensation insurance typically has a pretty wide scope of coverage, there are more than a few exceptions and carve-outs that have caused interested parties to believe that certain events or circumstances would be covered when if fact they were not.

May 23, 2023

A new issuance from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau updates some of the rights job applicants can enforce on would-be employers.

April 3, 2023

Employers are required by law to meet certain standards when it comes to payroll timing and regularity, and the liability for failing to do so can extend even to company officers and investors in some cases.

March 23, 2023

The guidelines for how artificial insurance will operate in the insurance space in the future are being written now.

April 21, 2023