Headlines about "Dependent care"

Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
Working Mothers Still Face a Struggle to Breast-Feed
Excerpt: "Despite the entreaties to breast-feed, few employers go out of their way to help women continue to do so. One in four companies offered an on-site mother's room last year, and 6 percent had lactation support services, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Fifteen percent had paid maternity leave beyond what short-term disability covers, and only 6 percent of companies had on-site child care." (McClatchy/Tribune Newspapers via Orlando Sentinel)

[Guidance Overview] Bureau of Labor Statistics Data on Employee Access to 'Other Types of Benefits,' 1979-2008
Excerpt: "Table 3 also shows the percent of workers with access to 'other benefits' in 2008. . . . The benefits with the highest rate of worker access were work-related education assistance (50 percent) and employee assistance programs (42 percent). Among the benefits with lower access rates, 2 percent of workers in private industry had access to employer-provided personal computers for home use, and 3 percent of workers had access to employer provided child-care funds." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

U.S. Maternity Leave Benefits Are Still Dismal
Excerpt: "Under the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act, which passed after 10 years of legislative wrangling, working women are granted 12 weeks' unpaid time off to care for a newborn or adopted child, with the guarantee of the same job when they return. To qualify, they must have been employed for at least 12 months at the same firm before the time off and have worked a minimum of 1,250 hours during the same period. What makes this law so unhelpful for many working women is that companies with fewer than 50 employees are exempt from abiding by it--meaning that these smaller firms are not obligated to grant any time off to care for a newborn (or sick family member). Although many large companies, such as Wall Street outfits and telecommunication firms, offer some kind of paid-leave package, more than half of U.S. companies employ fewer than 50 people." (Forbes.com)

The EEOC Issues Best Practices for Caregivers in the Workplace
Excerpt: "The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is continuing to draw attention to caregiver discrimination, an issue that experts say has only grown more pervasive with the recession. In a technical assistance document, the EEOC says that adopting more flexible workplace policies can help employees achieve a work/life balance and enhance productivity, reduce absenteeism, lower costs and decrease discrimination claims. . . . The EEOC issues best practices for caregivers in the workplace, although critics noted that caregiving is not a protected class. Discriminating against caregivers, however, could result in Title VII, FMLA or ADA claims." (Human Resource Executive Online)

EEOC Issues Best Practices for a Caregiver-Friendly Workplace
Excerpt: "The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has issued a document on best practices to avoid discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities. Employer Best Practices for Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities provides recommendations for hiring and workplace policies to avoid discrimination against workers with caregiving responsibilities. In addition, it discusses policies that can make a workplace more caregiver-friendly, such as flextime and job sharing." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

EEOC Holding Public Meeting Today to Address Best Practices to Avoid Discrimination Against Workers with Caregiving Responsibilities
Excerpt: "The Commission is scheduled to hear from invited expert panelists on the importance of caregiver-friendly workplace policies in economic hard times. The panelists are: Cynthia Calvert, Deputy Director, The Center for WorkLife Law; Karen Minatelli, Director of Work and Family Programs, National Partnership for Women and Families; Heather Boushey, Senior Economist, Center for American Progress; Jeff Norris, President, Equal Employment Advisory Council[.]" (Workplace Prof Blog)

Workplace Lactation Programs
Excerpt: "Working mothers with infants sometimes face a myriad of barriers in balancing work with home life. For some, especially hourly and lower-wage workers, that includes access to a workplace lactation room. Corporate Voices for Working Families, in partnership with Abbott Nutrition, Working Mother Media and others, now offers a Web site providing information on creating workplace lactation programs." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Updates Publication 503. Child and Dependent Care Expenses, for 2008
Excerpt: "The IRS has updated Publication 503 (Pub. 503) for use in preparing 2008 tax returns. Pub. 503 explains the requirements that taxpayers must meet in order to claim the dependent care tax credit (DCTC) under Code Section 21 for child and dependent care expenses. Similar, but not identical, requirements must be met for expenses to be reimbursable under a DCAP [dependent care assistance program]. . . . EBIA Comment: Because Pub. 503 is written primarily to help taxpayers determine whether expenses qualify for the DCTC, caution is needed if using it as a guide for determining what expenses are reimbursable under a DCAP. For example, the DCTC and DCAPs have different rules about the maximum amount of expenses that can be taken into account and about the timing of expenses." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

New Studies on Timing and Extent of Maternity Leave Call for Expanded Access to Paid Leave
Excerpt: "The current issue of Women's Health Issues has published an important study about the effects of paid leave and the timing of that leave on the health of women and their babies. The study, entitled Maternity Leave in the Ninth Month of Pregnancy and Birth Outcomes among Working Women found that women who took leave beginning in the 35th week of pregnancy were four times more likely to avoid a C-section birth than women who worked right up until going into labor. A second study, published in this month's issue of the journal, Pediatrics, and entitled Juggling Work and Breastfeeding: Effects of Breastfeeding and Occupational Characteristics, found that the longer the leave after birth (up to and beyond 12 weeks), the substantially greater likelihood that the woman would have established breastfeeding." (Workplace Prof Blog)

Maternity-Leave Alternative: Bring the Baby to Work
Excerpt: "More companies are allowing women -- and some men, too -- to bring their babies to work. The advantages are clear: The women don't lose money by taking maternity leave. They can breastfeed conveniently. And they can bond with the baby rather than worry that he or she will develop a closer connection with a nanny or a day-care provider. Of course, disadvantages are clear, too. The needs and noises of babies have the potential to be highly disruptive and to stir resentment among co-workers." (The New York Times; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Releases 2008 Forms 2441 and 1040A (Schedule 2)
Excerpt: "The IRS has released Form 2441 ('Child and Dependent Care Expenses') and its accompanying instructions for the 2008 tax year. Form 2441 is a dual-purpose form. Taxpayers file it with Form 1040 to determine the amount of their dependent care tax credit (DCTC). They also use it to establish that the amounts reported in Box 10 of Form W-2 (the value of employer-provided dependent care (DCAP) benefits) are not taxable." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

Employer's Guide to Benefits for Same-Sex Spouses and Domestic Partners (PDF)
38 pages. (Lockton Benefit Group)

[Guidance Overview] 2008 Year-End Checkup for Pension and Welfare Benefit Plans (PDF)
17 pages. Excerpt: "This Alert will help identify general year-end administrative and planning issues that could lead to compliance or employee relations problems if not addressed before, or early in, 2009. In addition, we have highlighted recent legislative or regulatory developments that may require plan design or documentation changes." (Aon)

Child Care Ranks High Among Important Workplace Benefits
Excerpt: "Child care is one of the most important workplace benefits for families with two working parents, according to a study released by the Consulting Practice at Bright Horizons Family Solutions. The study indicates that one in four parents using work-site child care have actually turned down or not pursued a job change because of the lack of work-site child care." (Wolters Kluwer)

[Guidance Overview] UK Employment Alert: The Necessity of Time Off for Dependant Care
Excerpt: "The key question in deciding whether an employee can take time off for dependants is therefore whether the time off is 'necessary'. In deciding what is necessary, an Employment Tribunal will look at all the circumstances, including the time between the employee learning of the disruption and the date of the disruption, the availability of alternatives, the nature of the disruption and finance." (McDermott Will & Emery)

Day Care Becomes a Deal-Breaker for Two-Career Couples
Excerpt: "More two-career couples with kids admit that they have walked away from job offers because of the lack of onsite day care, reveals a survey by Bright Horizons Family Solutions. One in four working couples who have children enrolled in a company-sponsored day care center report that employer-sponsored child care played a key role in not pursuing certain career opportunities." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] Michelle's Law and Continuation of Group Health Coverage for Certain Dependents
Excerpt: "In addition to extending coverage, Michelle's Law creates a new notice requirement. If and when a plan requests certification of student status, it must include with that request a description of the requirements for continued coverage under the law. This description must be in language that the typical plan participant can understand." (Nixon Peabody LLP)

Adoption Act Amends Tax Code Definition of Qualifying Child
Excerpt: "On Oct. 7, President Bush signed the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 (H.R.6893). The act focuses primarily on promoting adoption, but it also amends the definition of a qualifying child in the Internal Revenue Code. The definition is used to determine eligibility for certain tax benefits, such as the dependency exemption, the child tax credit, the earned income tax credit and the dependent care tax credit. In addition, it is referenced by many employer-sponsored health care and dependent care plans." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide)

[Guidance Overview] Adoptions Act Narrows the Definition of Qualifying Child Under Code Section 152
Excerpt: "President Bush has signed into law legislation that includes a provision limiting who can be considered a 'qualifying child' under the definition of dependent in Code Section 152. (Under Code Section 152, a person is considered a dependent only if he or she is either a qualifying relative or a qualifying child.)" (Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA))

Congress Approves Adoption Bill Tightening the Definition of a Child
Excerpt: "The 'qualifying child' definition impacts the taxation of employee benefits, various child and dependent tax credits, and exemptions. President Bush is expected to sign the bill, which would be effective for taxable years after December 31, 2008." (Hewitt Associates)

The 2008 100 Best Companies for Working Moms
Excerpt: "We've hit the working-mother lode this year with our 100 Best Companies. From flextime and telecommuting to backup child care and parental leave, these winners are expanding the concept of family-friendly benefits to make sure they cover adoptive parents, fathers and grandparents as well as working mothers -- even as the economy stumbles." (Working Mother)

Elder Care Programs Become More Important As Baby Boomers Age
Excerpt: "As people are living longer, many employees in their mid- to late 40s are finding themselves [with elder care concerns]. Many have young children, but they also act as caregivers for their parents. Despite this trend, only a small number of employers provide elder care services, experts say. Thirty-nine percent of employers today offer information about elder care services to employees. That's an improvement over 1998, when 23 percent made such services available, according to the Families and Work Institute." (Workforce Management; free registration required)

[Opinion] Worklife Balance, Employee Benefits, and Google's Strange Choice Regarding Onsite Daycare
Excerpt: "Earlier in the summer, Google announced to its employees that it was going to have to raise the employee contribution to the cost of onsite daycare 75%. The tuition for an infant would rise from from $1,425 per month to almost $2,500 per month and the tuition for preschoolers would rise from just over $1,000 per month to about $1,700 per month. This move would price many of the workers out of the benefit. The childcare didn't start much below market rates and would move to much above." (Workplace Prof Blog)

[Guidance Overview] Colorado Employers Must Provide Accommodations for Working, Nursing Mothers (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "On Tuesday, August 5, 2008, a new Colorado law requiringemployers to provide certain accommodations for nursing motherstakes effect. Under this law, employers – defined as 'any personengaged in business who has one or more employees' – must allownursing mothers reasonable break time in which to express breastmilk, and must make reasonable efforts to provide a suitable privatespace in which to do so. The law also prohibits discrimination againstnursing mothers." (Snell & Wilmer LLP)

[Official Guidance] Text of Corrections to Final IRS Regs: Dependent Child of Divorced or Separated Parents or Parents Who Live Apart (PDF)
1 page. Changes 'taxable year' to read 'calendar year' in two provisions. (Internal Revenue Service)

'Don't Touch My Perks': Companies that Eliminate Them Risk Employee Backlash
Excerpt: "Wharton faculty and compensation experts say the flap over Google's decision to change its employee day care program illustrates the difficulty in eliminating any employee perk. 'Once you have the perk, to take it away is seen as a violation of a psychological contract you have with your employee,' says Wharton management professor Nancy Rothbard." (Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania)

Workers with Backup Care Benefit Less Stressed, More Productive
Excerpt: "Recent research by Work Options Group, a Colorado-based company that specializes in the provision of corporate-sponsored backup care, finds 89% of employees offered a backup care benefit say just knowing it is available reduces their stress levels at work." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

European Court Says Employers Must Accommodate Caregivers
Excerpt: "A landmark European ruling effectively gives new rights to employees who are caregivers to sick, disabled, and elderly relatives. The Yorkshire Post reports that the European Court of Justice has declared that a directive banning discrimination in the workplace on grounds of disability not only applies to disabled people but also their caregivers. The ruling could result in a huge extension in flexible and part-time working arrangements, the news report said." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

[Official Guidance] Text of Final IRS Regs: Dependent Child of Divorced or Separated Parents or Parents Who Live Apart (PDF)
26 pages. Excerpt: "This document contains final regulations relating to a claim that a child is a dependent by parents who are divorced, legally separated under a decree of separate maintenance, or separated under a written separation agreement, or who live apart at all times during the last 6 months of the calendar year. The regulations reflect amendments under the Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004 (WFTRA) and the Gulf Opportunity Zone Act of 2005. . . . These regulations are effective July 2, 2008." (Internal Revenue Service)

A Quarter of U.S. Employees Care for an Older Adult
Excerpt: "One in four employees currently cares for an older or disabled adult. Of those employees, nearly half (44%) have missed work time to care for a loved one, finds a new national survey of working adults conducted by work-life benefits firm Workplace Options." (Employee Benefit News; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] Family Responsibilities Discrimination: Does It Really Exist?
Excerpt: "There has been an emerging focus on the legal issues related to the treatment of caregivers in the workplace with a significant increase of discrimination lawsuits on the basis of a person's caregiving responsibilities -- often referred to as Family Responsibilities Discrimination. But what is FRD? Does such a cause of action exist? This article serves to answer these questions." (The Legal Intelligencer via Blank Rome LLP)

Those Caring for Both Parents and Children Put Off Saving
Excerpt: "Baby Boomers around the globe are being squeezed financially by simultaneously caring for their parents and their children, according to research from The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Chart of State and Local Government Workers' Access to Quality-of-Life Benefits
Excerpt: "Long-term care insurance was offered to 26 percent of State and local government workers in September 2007. Such insurance was the quality-of-life benefit most commonly offered to employees of State and local governments." (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Clarifies Availability of Dependent Care Tax Credit and Other Family Tax Law Benefits Based on 'Qualifying Relatives'
Excerpt: "The IRS has issued Chief Counsel Advice (CCA) 200812024, which provides guidance on whether a taxpayer may claim the dependent care tax credit (DCTC) under Code Section 21 or certain other family tax law benefits, based on a member of the taxpayer's household who is a 'qualifying relative' under Code Section 152(d) and Notice 2008-5 . . . ." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

Day Care's New Frontier: Your Baby at Your Desk
Excerpt: "More than 80 companies across the nation allow babies in the workplace, according to Parenting in the Workplace Institute in Framingham, Mass., which says that number is likely to be low. It's an extreme -- and controversial -- example of how employers are seeking more ways to help workers strike a balance between work and the rest of their lives. The number of companies allowing children at work on an occasional basis climbed to 29% last year, up from 22% in 2006, according to the Society for Human Resource Management." (USA TODAY)

Babies-at-Work Programs Let New Parents Stay Close to Their Kids
Excerpt: "At a few companies in Texas and across the country, every day is Bring Your Baby to Work Day. They let employees bring their infants to the office, typically until they're about 6 months old. But some say that dirty diapers and blankies don't mix with coffee pots and cubicles. They say it's a liability issue for employers, they wonder whether babies will distract workers, and they question whether parents will be fully engaged in their work." (The Dallas Morning News)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Issues 2008 Version of Taxable Fringe Benefit Guide
Excerpt: "This publication offers helpful insight into the IRS's positions regarding the taxation, withholding, and reporting requirements for certain employee fringe benefits. However, employers and administrators looking for an IRS publication on the tax treatment of a broader variety of fringe benefits (including cafeteria plans, adoption assistance, and HSAs) may wish to consult IRS Publication 15-B . . . ." (Employee Benefits Institute of America (EBIA))

Adult Day-Care Facilities, Medical Leave Policies and Empathy Are Helping Stressed-Out Workers Be Caregivers
Excerpt: "[T]he majority of those who care for an elderly family member are also full-time employees -- about 25 percent of the U.S. work force.The total estimated annual cost to employers of full-time workers with intense care-giving responsibilities is $33.6 billion, according to a MetLife Care-giving Cost Study. The average cost per employee is $2,441 -- because of lost productivity." (IndyStar.com)

Employers See Advantage in Helping Workers Care for Families
Excerpt: "Now some companies, searching for ways to reduce absences and low productivity among workers with hefty personal demands, are coming up with ways to help. The services they help provide run the gamut: backup care, in-home care for family members with minor illnesses and referrals to day-care services that offer weekend, night-shift or late-evening care." (The Columbia Daily Tribune)

IRS Updates Publication 503 -- Child and Dependent Care Expenses -- for 2007
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: While Pub. 503 is written primarily to help taxpayers determine whether expenses qualify for the DCTC, DCAP administrators will also appreciate having a version of Pub. 503 that reflects the new dependent care expense regulations. However, Pub. 503 must be used with caution if serving as a guide to determine what expenses are reimbursable under a DCAP. For example, the DCTC and DCAPs have different rules about the maximum amount of expenses that can be taken into account and about the timing of expenses." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

Improved Childcare Policies Needed to Achieve Better Work/Life Balance, Says OECD
Excerpt: "Getting family-friendly policies right will help reduce poverty, promote child development, enhance equity between men and women and stem the fall in birth-rates, according to a new OECD report. Babies and Bosses, Reconciling Work and Family Life compares the different approaches that the 30 OECD countries take to help parents balance their work and family commitments." (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)

Overview: EEOC Permits Coordination of Retiree Health Benefits with Medicare; IRS Provides Guidance Relevant to Dependent Health Care (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "After nearly a decade of litigation and more than four years of study of a rule proposal, the EEOC on December 26, 2007, published a final regulation permitting the coordination of employer-provided retiree health benefits with Medicare and comparable state programs. . . . On January 14, 2008, the Internal Revenue Service will publish additional guidance under Code section 152(d)(1) defining a 'qualifying relative.'" (Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP)

Turning a New Page on Elder Care Issues in the Workplace
Excerpt: "[Texas Instruments] offers a series of free elder care referral services, online help and aid -- in a model that can be emulated by other firms. Employees can turn to the TI Intranet and access links to find a senior caregiver, home health care aids, cleaning services and social support. Moreover, an elder care e-mail group enables employees to discuss where to find the best caregivers and not feel so isolated. 'It's like a virtual water cooler,' . . . ." (Investor's Business Daily)

How Children Can Provide a Pension for Parents
Excerpt: "For millions of baby boomers, the need for extra help is becoming a familiar situation. More than 50 million people are providing some kind of assistance for aged family members or friends, according to the U.S. Health and Human Services Department." (Bloomberg News)

Telecommuting Prized by Employees More than Stock Options or On-Site Child Care, Survey Shows
Excerpt: "A survey released Tuesday by Citrix Online found that 23 percent of American workers regularly do their jobs from someplace besides the office, and that 62 percent of respondents who cannot work off-site would like to. The survey also found that workers prized the ability to telecommute more highly than stock options or on-site child care." (Washington Post; free registration required)

For Lawyers, Perks to Fit a Lifestyle
Excerpt: "The benefits for lawyers have burgeoned in recent years as firms pull out the stops to attract top-notch talent. While perks for the partners have always been common, many are now finding their way to associates -- young lawyers who have not yet made partner. And with those associates routinely jumping ship to go elsewhere, law firms are trying to create a workplace that caters to their young recruits' wants and needs, while freeing them to bill 60 hours or more a week. (New York Times)

GAO Report (Full Report): Social Security Reform: Issues for Disability and Dependent Benefits
71 pages. Excerpt: "We considered several reform elements that could improve Social Security Trust Fund solvency by reducing the initial benefits received or the growth of individual benefits over time. According to our simulations, these reform elements would reduce median lifetime benefits for disabled workers by up to 27 percent (see graph) and dependents by up to 30 percent of currently scheduled levels. While the size of the benefit reduction could vary across individuals, it could be substantial for the vast majority of these beneficiaries, depending upon the reform element." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)

GAO Report (Highlights): Social Security Reform: Issues for Disability and Dependent Benefits (PDF)
Excerpt: "This report examines (1) how certain elements of Social Security reform proposals could affect disability and dependent benefits, (2) options for protecting these benefits and how they might affect disabled workers and dependents, and (3) how protecting benefits could affect the Social Security program." (U.S. Government Accountability Office)

More Employers Face Caregiver-Related Suits
Excerpt: "As the number of employees with elder and child care demands grows, more workers are filing lawsuits claiming they've been discriminated against on the job because of their family care-giving obligations. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which recently issued its first guidance for employers about the issue, reports an 'upsurge' in cases -- with many resulting in awards to plaintiffs. The guidance provides examples of how bias can occur so that employers are aware of the risk." (Asbury Park Press)

Campaign Launched to Help Employees Balance Work and Caregiving
Excerpt: "The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) - in cooperation with the National Alliance for Caregiving – has launched a campaign to help businesses and employees work together on the growing problem of balancing the responsibilities of work with caring for a family member." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Text of Aon's 2007 Year-End Checkup for Benefit Plans (PDF)
15 pages. Excerpt: "This Alert will help identify general year-end administrative and planning issues that could lead to compliance or employee relations problems if not addressed before, or early in, 2008. In addition, we have highlighted recent legislative or regulatory developments that may require plan design or documentation changes, particularly in response to the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), final Internal Revenue Code (IRC) §409A regulations, and the re-proposed IRC §125 regulations." (Aon)

From the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation: Text of Extensive Comments on Proposed Cafeteria Plan Regs (PDF)
37 pages; filed November 5, 2007. Very well-written: clear, precise; includes explanation of issues and a detailed suggested revision for each issue. (Employers Council on Flexible Compensation)

Industries in Redmond, WA Exploring Employee Child Care
Excerpt: "[Redmond officials] are working to create Central Oregon's first accredited child care facility for employees. The facility could hold as many as 250 children of working parents and would employ nationally accredited child care supervisors who would undergo training and receive competitive benefits designed to reduce turnover." (The Bend Bulletin)

Caregivers Increasingly File Lawsuits Against Employers Alleging Discrimination
Excerpt: "The number of lawsuits stemming from 'family responsibilities discrimination,' or discrimination against employees who have family care-giving responsibilities at home, has increased by 400% in the last 10 years, according to the Center for WorkLife Law at the University of California, USA Today reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

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