Headlines about "Military - benefits for, incl. USERRA"

Gathered from the web by the editors at BenefitsLink.com.
[Guidance Overview] PBGC Semiannual Regulatory Agenda Addresses USERRA Benefits
Excerpt: "The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has released its semiannual regulatory agenda for Spring 2009, which outlines regulations that have been selected for amendment during the next year, as well as any regulations that have been recently finalized." (Wolters Kluwer)

[Guidance Overview] Supreme Court Turns Away USERRA Decision Appeal
Excerpt: "The U.S. Supreme Court has turned aside a request to review a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling finding that an employer had run afoul of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) by forcing a returning Army reservist to go through a three-week re-entry process. The 6th Circuit decision issued last year held that police officer Brian Petty had met all four of the prerequisites to invoke his rights under USERRA so the employer, the Metro Government of Nashville-Davidson County, could not delay his re-employment." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

House Veterans' Affairs Committee Approves Bills on USERRA Changes
Excerpt: "The U.S. House Veterans' Affairs Committee has approved two bills that address employment rights for veterans." (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans)

[Guidance Overview] For COBRA Subsidy, Involuntary Termination Does Include Call-Up to Military Reserves
Excerpt: "An employee in the military reserve who is called up for active duty has experienced an involuntary termination and is eligible for the recently enacted COBRA subsidy, according to an April 6 Webcast sponsored by the Department of Labor's Employee Benefit Security Administration (EBSA). Kevin Knopf, attorney-adviser in the Office of Tax Policy at the Department of the Treasury, said at the Webcast that he had erred earlier by stating that military reservists called up for active duty were not eligible for the subsidy." (Wolters Kluwer)

[Guidance Overview] Wachovia Securities to Pay $1M to Former Adviser in USERRA Case
Excerpt: "The U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut has ordered Wachovia Securities to reinstate a former adviser and pay him back pay and damages for violating the Uniform Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). The court ruled that Wachovia Securities constructively discharged reservist Michael Serricchio when it offered him a much less compensated position upon his return from active duty. The court rejected Wachovia's argument that Serricchio failed to fulfill his obligation to minimize his wage loss by not accepting the inferior offer or by not seeking other employment as a financial adviser." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] How to Reconcile Differing FMLA Leave Periods
Excerpt: "Your organization uses the calendar year to determine an employee's leave balance for all qualifying reasons other than military caregiver leave (which is required by regulation to begin on the first day the eligible employee takes military caregiver leave and ends 12 months after that date). How do you reconcile the use of leave to care for a covered servicemember with other FMLA leave?" (CCH INCORPORATED)

Rep. Lynch Introduces Legislation to Automatically Enroll New Federal Employees and Members of the Military in Thrift Savings Plan
Excerpt: "Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., has introduced legislation (H.R. 1263) that would automatically enroll new federal employees and members of the military in the Thrift Savings Plan and assign their investments to the government securities fund. 'Currently, 14 percent of the eligible federal civilian and 75 percent of uniformed service members are not participating in TSP,' Lynch, the new chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Federal Workforce Subcommittee, said in a statement. 'Therefore they are less likely than participants to be financially self-sufficient.'" (GovernmentExecutive.com)

[Guidance Overview] New FMLA Regulations Require Immediate Steps to Ensure Employer Compliance
Excerpt: "First, every employer covered by the FMLA is required to post a notice explaining employee rights and responsibilities under the FMLA ? including the new rights created by the military family leave amendments. An employer can fulfill this 'general notice' requirement by posting the newly revised DOL 'Employee Rights and Responsibilities' poster on its premises in conspicuous places where employees work. Covered employers must post this general notice even if they do not have any employees currently eligible to take FMLA leave. The new regulations provide that electronic posting of the general notice is sufficient, so long as it includes all of the information in the updated DOL rights and responsibilities poster and the electronic notice is accessible to all employees." (Perkins Coie LLP)

Reserve and National Guard Members Deserve a Better Retirement Plan
Excerpt: "Current reserve retirement offers little or no incentive for members to serve past 20 years, Stultz said, because longer service doesn't change the age 60 start of annuities. So it's hard to persuade members or spouses that another hitch is worth the risk of returning to war or being separated . . . ." (Stars and Stripes)

[Guidance Overview] DOL's Final FMLA Regulations on Military Family Leave
Excerpt: "The Department of Labor (DOL) recently issued final Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations addressing the new military family leave entitlements under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2008. There are two new types of military leave: (1) qualifying exigency and (2) military caregiver. The regulations took effect Jan. 16." (Watson Wyatt Worldwide)

[Guidance Overview] New FMLA Regulations: What Every Employer Should Know
Excerpt: "In November 2008, the U.S. Department of Labor published revised regulations to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA or the Act) for the first time in the Act's 15-year history. The much anticipated regulations are over 750 pages long and take effect on Jan. 16, leaving scant time for employers to implement new procedures to comply with the law. The most significant of these changes are addressed herein." (Law Journal Newsletters' The Corporate Counselor via Blank Rome LLP)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Clarification of Rules for Tax Deadline Postponement Due to Military Service or Federally Declared Disaster
Excerpt: "The IRS has issued final regulations, amending existing regulations under Code Sec. 7508A , to clarify rules relating to the postponement of certain tax-related acts by reason of service in a combat zone or a federally declared disaster. The regulations are effective on January 15, 2009." (Wolters Kluwer)

[Guidance Overview] HEART: Plan Operational Changes and Amendments Required (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "This article summerizes what employe[r]s must do for compliance." (International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans via Michael Best & Friedrich LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Recent Guidance Impacting Employer Group Health Plans (PDF)
2 pages. Reprinted from Employee Benefit Plan Review. Excerpt: "Recent guidance from the IRS explains how qualified reservist distributions may be made from employer health flexible spending account plans and includes a transitional rule permitting retroactive plan amendments to be made until December 31, 2009." (Winston & Strawn LLP)

[Guidance Overview] New FMLA Regulations Include Military Family Leave Entitlements (PDF)
7 pages. Excerpt: "Late last year, the Department of Labor issued revised and updated final regulations on the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, including the new military family leave entitlements. The new regulations take effect on January 16, 2009." (Buck Consultants)

[Guidance Overview] Employment and ERISA Law Considerations When Reducing Workforce or Laying Off Employees
Excerpt: "Some of the laws that should be taken into consideration include the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA), the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws and the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)." (Aiken & Aiken)

Missouri Bill Would End Tax on Military Pensions
Excerpt: "As members of the military retire, a growing number of state legislators want to pass tax relief to entice those servicemen and women to relocate to Missouri. Rep. Don Ruzicka, R-Mount Vernon, is among 26 legislators co-sponsoring a bill to exempt military retirement pensions from state income taxes." (Springfield News-Leader)

[Guidance Overview] 401(k), Pension, and Welfare Plans: 2008 Year-End Compliance Matters (PDF)
5 pages. Excerpt: "With the year rapidly coming to an end, it is timely for retirement and welfare plan sponsors to consider updating their plans to reflect recent changes in applicable law. This alert provides information about four developments from 2008 that should now be on the radar screen for plan sponsors. (1) Code Section 415; [(2) Proposed Section 125 (Cafeteria Plan) Regulations; (3) Mental Health Parity; (4) The HEART Act.]" (Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Final Rule Adopting New FMLA Regulations
Excerpt: "On November 17, 2008, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued its Final Rule updating regulations regarding the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). This marks the first change to FMLA regulations since previous regulations went into effect in April 1995. The revised regulations address the new military leave entitlements under the FMLA and implement a number of other changes to the way that FMLA leave is administered. The new Final Rule will take effect January 16, 2009." (Briggs and Morgan PA)

Military Retirement: Background and Recent Developments (PDF)
18 pages. Excerpt: "There are three separate and distinct but related retirement systems within DOD: one for active duty members, one for the Reserve Components, and one for those who become disabled and are generally unable to complete a normal 20-year military career due to their physical disability." (U.S. Congressional Research Service)

[Guidance Overview] New FMLA Rules Require Significant Changes to Policies and Procedures
Excerpt: "[E]mployers will need to make significant changes to their FMLA policies, employee handbooks, and FMLA request processing practices in order to comply with the revised FMLA regulations. Although this Employment Law Alert provides highlights of the necessary changes, the revised regulations address a great number of detailed circumstances that are beyond the scope of this Alert. Additionally, along with the revised regulations, the DOL has also published more than 100 pages of background information and comments addressing the changes, some of which may prove helpful to employers when a particular problem arises." (Nixon Peabody LLP)

[Guidance Overview] The Family and Medical Leave Act Regulations Are Extensively Revised
Excerpt: "The new regulations also provide many changes to the certification and employer notice laws and the associated forms. Prudent employers should take immediate steps to update their FMLA policies and procedures, as well as notification and certification documents." (Poyner Spruill LLP)

[Guidance Overview] WebCast: New Regulations to Go into Effect Under the Family and Medical Leave Act (PDF)
59 pages. (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Revised FMLA Regulations Impose New Employer and Employee Obligations
Excerpt: "The new regulations change some of the former interpretations, and renumber and reorganize certain provisions. DOL has also revised some sections to include language clarifying several provisions that had been subject to conflicting court interpretations. In addition to reorganizing, modifying, and clarifying existing regulations, the DOL issued new regulations addressing the January 2008 servicemember amendment to the FMLA, which provides leave for qualifying exigencies for eligible family members of personnel on active duty and to care for ill or injured servicemembers." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)

[Guidance Overview] DOL Final Rule Would Expand and Clarify FMLA
Excerpt: "Provisions in the final rule call for increased notice obligations for employers so that employees will better understand their FMLA rights, while revising employee notice rules to minimize workplace disruptions due to unscheduled FMLA absences. The rule also contains technical changes that reflect decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court and lower courts." (Cypen & Cypen)

[Guidance Overview] The New FMLA Regulations: Leave for Families of Military Personnel
Excerpt: "The key requirements applicable to qualifying exigency leave and military caregiver leave are covered in the . . . article." (Faegre & Benson)

[Guidance Overview] Updating Family and Medical Leave Act Policies to Reflect Rule Changes
Excerpt: "As of January 16, employers should post the new FMLA notice, revise their handbooks to incorporate changes in their FMLA policies -- and be prepared to respond to leave requests by following the new procedure and using the new notice and certification forms. While the . . . article does not attempt to address all FMLA revisions -- especially those of a non-substantive nature -- it provides an overview of some significant changes employers should be aware of under the new rule." (Faegre & Benson)

Fewer Troops Choosing Redux Plan - and Lower Retirement Benefits
Excerpt: "The good news: The percentage of eligible service members choosing the $30,000 Redux bonus -- and the diminished lifetime retirement annuities that come with it -- [is] a lot lower than in 2001, the first year that anyone could actually get the bonus. The bad news: Even those lower figures, particularly for enlisted troops, are still robust enough to be worrisome. Last fiscal year, 28 percent of eligible enlisted Marines chose the fast cash over the security of a healthier retirement. In the Navy, the figure was 24 percent." (Army Times Publishing Company)

[Guidance Overview] Distributions from Health FSAs to Employees on Active Military Duty
Excerpt: "The IRS recently issued clarifications on the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (the HEART Act) which became law on June 18, 2008. This Act allows, but does not require, distributions from a pre-tax health flexible spending account (health FSA) to employees who leave for active military duty. This article contains a summary of the new IRS guidance issued in Notice 2008-82. For sake of this article, we will refer to a qualified reservist distribution (QRD) as a 'distribution.'" (TRI-AD)

Military Families Get Time Off for Care
Excerpt: "The Labor Department will release new regulations on Friday that will let family members of seriously injured or ill members of the armed services take up to 26 weeks off from work each year to care for them. The regulations will also allow family members of those called to active duty in the National Guard or the Reserves to take up to 12 weeks off from work so they can manage needed and often rushed matters regarding a service member's departure or return." (The New York Times; free registration required)

Labor Department Finalizes New Family Leave Rules
Excerpt: "The Labor Department on Thursday announced final revisions in the Family and Medical Leave Act, including new rules defining how families of wounded service members will be able to take unpaid leave to care for them. While the addition of military families to the landmark law received positive reviews, the Labor Department's other revisions to the Act caused concern among labor and employee advocates." (AP via The New York Times; free registration required)

[Guidance Overview] New FSA Withdrawal Feature for Eligible Reservists: Amending Cafeteria Plans Following the HEART Act
Excerpt: "QRDs are not required additions to FSAs. However, where a plan sponsor decides to offer QRDs, the cafeteria plan must be amended, and the amendment must apply uniformly to all eligible plan participants." (McGuireWoods LLP)

60 Minutes Report on USERRA
Excerpt: "A primary focus was on USERRA's costs to employers given the frequent and long tours of active duty that many Reservists now face in Iraq. There's the normal share of simply bad employers, but also an example of an employer that continually went beyond the call of duty in supporting its employees who were called up. That employer, while continuing that support, was frank about the growing burdens on losing its employees so frequently and for unknown periods of time." (Workplace Prof Blog)

[Guidance Overview] Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008: Impact on Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
Excerpt: "HEART added section 125(h) to the Internal Revenue Code (the Code) which permits cafeteria plans to provide qualified reservist distributions (QRD) to an employee of all or a portion of the balance of the employee's unused amounts in the health FSA." (ERISAdiagnostics, Inc.)

[Guidance Overview] Arbitrability of USERRA Claims: Battle on the Home Front
Excerpt: "With the continuation of major troop deployments overseas, increasing numbers of employers and employees are finding themselves affected by the protections of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 ('USERRA'), which provides comprehensive re-employment and anti-discrimination rights to employees who serve in America's military. . . . Employees who seek to vindicate their rights under USERRA, however, are finding themselves at the center of a conflict among federal courts concerning whether USERRA claims may be subject to their employers' mandatory arbitration clauses." (Law.com)

[Guidance Overview] New Veterans' Benefits Law Amends USERRA to Expedite Enforcement and Address Statute of Limitations Issue
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Whether the new deadlines imposed by the Act will actually expedite USERRA enforcement is unclear, since the Act does not include any penalty for failure to meet those deadlines. However, the Act also includes expanded reporting requirements for the enforcement process, suggesting that Congress has a keen interest in improving USERRA enforcement and that additional Congressional action might follow if the speed and quality of enforcement do not improve." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

[Guidance Overview] FMLA Amendments: Significant Changes and Their Impact (PDF)
27 pages. Powerpoint presentation. (Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Reservists Don't Have to Use or Lose Their Health Flexible Spending Accounts (PDF)
1 page. Excerpt: "Taxation. Employers should report the [Qualified Reservist Distribution] on Form W-2 as wages for the year in which the QRD is paid to the employee. A QRD is also subject to employment taxes." (Seyfarth Shaw LLP)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Guidance on Health FSA Distributions Under the Heart Act
Excerpt: "Earlier this year, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART Act) of 2008 became law. The HEART Act was designed to provide much-needed financial flexibility for our military. In its first guidance on the HEART Act, the IRS has released Notice 2008-82 which discusses Qualified Reservist Distributions (QRDs). QRDs provide certain military reservists with special options in their health care flexible spending accounts, but employer action is necessary to enable the process. This article explains the IRS guidance." (JPMorgan Chase & Co.)

[Guidance Overview] Health FSAs: IRS Issues Guidance on New 'Qualified Reservist Distributions'
Excerpt: "The Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (HEART) amended IRC §125 to permit military reservists who are called to active duty to withdraw the unused portion of their health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs). IRS recently issued guidance explaining how the new distributions are to be administered and provided a transition period until January 1, 2010 for amending the plan document. IRS Notice 2008-82." (Deloitte via BenefitsLink.com)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Details for Qualified Reservist Distribution from Health Flexible Spending Accounts
Excerpt: "Employers that have already allowed QRDs from their cafeteria plans should amend their plans to reflect their rules and procedures regarding QRDs no later than December 31, 2009. Some employers may have already amended their cafeteria plans to allow QRDs and, in that case, they should review the amendment to determine whether they need to make any changes based on the recent clarifications. QRDs made on or after January 1, 2010 will require a prospective plan amendment." (Faegre & Benson LLP)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Guidance on FSA Distributions under the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act (PDF)
2 pages. Excerpt: "HEART amended Internal Revenue Code Section 125 to allow employers to provide 'qualified reservist distributions' (QRDs) from health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) to employee-reservists who are called to active duty for 180 or more days, or for an indefinite period of time. . . . The IRS has issued Notice 2008-82, which provides important guidance for plan sponsors who wish to add this feature to their FSAs." (Buck Consultants)

[Guidance Overview] IRS Guidance on Qualified Reservist Distributions Addresses Many Open Issues
Excerpt: "EBIA Comment: Although QRDs can help reservists avoid unwanted health FSA forfeitures under the use-or-lose rule, some employers may have delayed amending their health FSA and cafeteria plan documents pending further guidance on QRDs. The guidance in the notice provides much-needed clarification on issues that had been left open by the authorizing legislation, and should help these employers to decide whether to add this new feature to their plans." (Employee Benefits Institute of America)

[Guidance Overview] How Does HEART Affect 415 and PPA Amendments?
Excerpt: "Among other things, [the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (HEART)] will change the way retirement plans deal with employees in the military. This technical update will address three issues: 1. When must plans be amended to conform to HEART? 2. How does HEART affect final 415 regulation amendments? 3. How does HEART affect PPA amendments?" (SunGard)

IRS Provides Guidance on Reservist FSA Distributions
Excerpt: "The Internal Revenue Service has issued Notice 2008-82 providing guidance on qualified reservist distributions (QRDs) from health flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and including a transition rule allowing plans to be retroactively amended for QRDs made before January 1, 2010." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

HEART Act Guidance Coming, Says Key IRS Official
Excerpt: "The IRS is preparing guidance on the pension and benefit provisions in the Heroes Earnings Assistance Relief Tax (HEART) Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-245), according to Martin L. Pippins, manager, IRS Employee Plans Technical Guidance and Quality Assurance. However, Pippins, who spoke at the American Law Institute-American Bar Association (ALI-ABA) retirement benefits conference in Washington, D.C. on September 6, 2008, did not indicate when the guidance would be issued." (Wolters Kluwer)

[Guidance Overview] Prohibitions on Health Plan Opt-Out Incentive Options (PDF)
Page 6 of 7 pages. Excerpt: "Both Medicare and TRICARE prohibit employers from offering any financial or other incentives to Medicare or TRICARE eligible employees to not enroll, or to terminate enrollment, in an employer-sponsored group health plan that is or would be primary to Medicare or TRICARE." (Miller & Chevalier Chartered)

[Guidance Overview] Impact of the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 on Employee Benefit Plans (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "The IRS has yet to issue guidance clarifying the provisions of the HEART Act and their impact on employee benefit plans, although it has identified this guidance as a high priority. Since plan amendments incorporating the mandatory provisions of the HEART Act are not required until the last day of the plan year beginning on or after January 1, 2010, you can wait for further guidance from the IRS before amending your plans. Nonetheless, you must be careful to operate your plans in accordance with the provisions of the HEART Act that are effective retroactively or that will take effect as of January 1, 2009." (Harter Secrest & Emery LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Heroes Act Requires Changes to Employee Benefit Plans (PDF)
3 pages. Excerpt: "The changes to employee benefit plans, some required and others optional, generally expand the availability of benefits under retirement and cafeteria plans to employees who have been called to military service. All employers should review the Heroes Act to determine the provisions that apply to their benefit plans, and the applicable effective dates. A summary of the employee benefit provisions of the Heroes Act, and a chart outlining the provisions and their respective effective dates, are provided [on the target page]." (Employee Benefit Plan Review via Winston & Strawn LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Military Retirement Benefits - Structuring Payments as Deductible Alimony
Excerpt: "To be deductible as alimony by the payer, the payment must satisfy the requirements of IRC section 71. A recent Tax Court decision involving the payment of military retirement benefits under the Uniformed Services Former Spouses' Protection Act (USFSPA) to the former spouse of a retired serviceman sheds light on the treatment of alimony payments." (The New York State Society of CPAs)

[Guidance Overview] HEART Act Affords Greater Protections to Those Serving on Active Military Duty
Excerpt: "Under the Act, retirement plans must provide certain survivor benefits to participants who die while serving in active military duty and make plan contributions for 'differential pay.' The Act also modifies the tax treatment of certain deferred compensation items." (Littler Mendelson P.C.)

[Opinion] American Benefits Council Letter to Treasury Requesting Guidance on HEART Act Benefit Provisions (PDF)
6 pages. Excerpt: "The Council's members have raised a number of questions about sections 104, 105 and 107 of the HEART Act, which generally provide relief from certain retirement plan rules for distributions, contributions and accruals made on behalf of participants engaged in qualified military service." (American Benefits Council)

[Guidance Overview] HEART Act Changes Retirement Plan Rules for Military Reservists
Excerpt: "In June, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax ('HEART') Act became law. The Act makes a number of significant changes to the treatment of military reservists under employee benefit plans. This article summarizes those changes as they apply to qualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans, Section 403(b) plans, and Section 457(b) plans." (Spencer Fane Britt & Browne LLP)

[Guidance Overview] Retirement Provisions in the HEART Act May Affect Multiemployer Plans (PDF)
2 pages. (The Segal Group, Inc.)

[Guidance Overview] Do Your Benefit Plans Comply With the HEART Act?
Excerpt: "The recently enacted Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 (the 'HEART Act') provides tax relief and protections to members of the armed forces. This Act impacts a number of employee benefit plan provisions, and some provisions of the HEART Act will require employers to amend their benefit plan documents." (Poyner Spruill)

President Bush Signs Law To Ensure Health Benefits for 'Sole Survivor' Veterans
Excerpt: "President Bush on Friday signed into law legislation (HR 5825, S 2874) that will guarantee health benefits for 'sole survivor' veterans who receive honorable discharges, the Los Angeles Times reports." (Kaiser Family Foundation)

[Guidance Overview] Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 Contains Several Provisions for Military Service Personnel That Affect Retirement Plans
Excerpt: "The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has not yet issued any regulations on most of the HEART Act's provisions, but advisors need to know that each provision has its own qualifications, effective dates and retroactive dates." (Financial Planning)

DOL Helps Employers with Injured Veteran Issues
Excerpt: "The U.S. Department of Labor announced a new online resource to help employers in their employment of veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), two increasingly common battlefield conditions. Managed jointly by the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy and Veterans' Employment and Training Service, in collaboration with other federal agencies, the America's Heroes at Work Web site (www.AmericasHeroesAtWork.gov) provides information about TBI and PTSD as well as tools and guidance on how to implement workplace accommodations and other services that benefit affected individuals." (PLANSPONSOR.com; free registration required)

Career Status Bonus/Redux a Bad Deal for Military Servicemembers
Excerpt: "While the bonus has been frozen at $30,000 since it was introduced in 2001, individuals who take it today forfeit, on average, nearly $100,000 more in lifetime retired pay than bonus takers did seven years ago . . . ." (Stars and Stripes)

[Guidance Overview] HEART Act Provides Additional Private Pension Benefits to Members of the Military (PDF)
4 pages. Excerpt: "[The target document includes a chart which] summarizes the pension provisions of the HEART Act and identifies affected plans and applicable effective dates." (Prudential Retirement)

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