News Archive

35 pages. "What's New: [1] Additional deductions for seniors.... [2] Repeal of the windfall elimination provision (WEP) and government pension offset (GPO)."  MORE >>

"Although the proposed rules clarify that employers may fulfill their obligation to provide 32 hours of unpaid protected time off by providing an equivalent amount of paid protected time off, they also suggest that if an employer provides an equivalent (or greater) amount of paid protected time off, the employer is not exempt from ESSTA’s strict leave‑tracking, pay stub and recordkeeping obligations, and employers must still make such paid protected time off available immediately upon hire and on Jan. 1 of each year."  MORE >>

"Employees should proactively communicate when FMLA leave requests include travel time and seek medical certifications that address transportation needs rather than appointment attendance alone.... Employers developing FMLA policies should address how travel time components are handled in leave calculations and whether additional documentation beyond standard medical certifications is required for transportation-related leave."  MORE >>

"[P]lans offering emergency expense withdrawals have a participation rate of 76%, compared to 67% in plans without the features. This is as the findings show that 69% of workers have less than six months' worth of emergency savings, and 47% say they can't cover a $1,000 expense.... [O]nly 18% of plans offer emergency expense withdrawals and less than 1% of participants have access to the features[.]"  MORE >>

"Here's a practical playbook from a mid-sized employer.... [1] Get honest about the three levers you really control ... [2] Show your team the real numbers, not just the new card ... [3] Offer first-dollar help where it matters most ... [4] Help people navigate confusing bills (without becoming their claims department) ... [5] Treat renewal as a nine-month process, not a nine-day scramble ... [6] Remember: health insurance is a human problem first."  MORE >>

"Employers may ... consider whether account-based arrangements can serve as a controlled alternative pathway for GLP-1 expenses.... Some employers may wish to explore alternatives that sit squarely outside the group health plan context.... Inconsistent administration, informal exceptions, or mid-year operational shifts not supported by plan documentation can undermine the defensibility of an employer's plan design decision."  MORE >>

"In recent remarks at the 53rd Annual Securities Regulation Institute, SEC Commissioner Mark T. Uyeda signaled a potential shift away from disclosure mandates perceived as costly or socially prescriptive, toward a regime more closely tied to investor relevance and statutory requirements."  MORE >>

"68% of employers made no changes to their wellbeing programs -- no cuts, reductions, or restructuring. Even more striking, 22% added new programs without eliminating anything, while only a very small minority (3%) chose to eliminate a program. This level of stability in a challenging financial year signals that ... [e]mployers increasingly see [wellbeing] as integral to the employee experience and to long‑term cost management, rather than a perk that can be adjusted when times get tough."  MORE >>

"One in three workers believes 'heartbreak leave' should be offered to help those struggling with the wrong side of romance ... The same number say they have already taken time off for this reason ... [W]hile leaders might be quick to say vacation or sick leave already covers this need, there's an advantage to employers offering it on its own, says [one] career expert ... 'This helps to normalize the fact that what happens in your personal life does affect your career,' she says."  MORE >>

"In a recent dispute over a retirement plan beneficiary, the family members of a deceased employee were unable to remove his ex-spouse as the primary beneficiary of his account because he'd faxed the request to have his ex-spouse removed from his accounts to his employer's benefits center instead of following the required procedures to update his beneficiary designation.... It's an outcome that demonstrates how easily beneficiary designations can derail an otherwise thoughtful estate plan, especially for executives with significant assets in employer-sponsored plans."  MORE >>

"In a significant shift from previous years, employers have identified cost control as their top strategic priority for 2026.... This shift underscores the delicate balance employers must strike: implementing cost-containment measures without compromising the support systems that drive employee productivity and satisfaction. By leveraging the data and trends outlined in this report, leaders can better navigate these challenges and build resilient benefits strategies for the year ahead."  MORE >>

"Most people under age 65, about 167 million people, get their health insurance through an employer or a family member's employer ... Employers pay on average around 70 percent of the cost of total premiums for family coverage.... Family coverage premiums averaged $24,540 in 2024, with employees contributing $7,216 annually ... [T]he share of income spent on premium contributions and deductibles together for family coverage ranged from a high of 15.6 percent in Louisiana to a low of 5.7 percent in the District of Columbia."  MORE >>

"The court held that [1] the plan validly consented to arbitration of the Section 502(a)(2) claim, [2] the plaintiff's individual claims were not subject to arbitration because he never personally consented, and [3] the clause's prohibition on representative actions and limitation to individual relief violated the effective vindication doctrine. The court remanded the case for further proceedings on severability." [Parrott v. International Bancshares Corp., No. 25-50367 (5th Cir. Feb. 10, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The fiduciary defendants here made what were essentially the same arguments that have been made -- successfully -- by fiduciaries in other cases at the same point in litigation. Of course ... the plan document language matters -- and here the judge found just enough ambiguity to want to reserve judgement on intent for trial." [Russell v. Illinois Tool Works, No. 22-2492 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"These requirements will give employers unprecedented visibility into critical PBM information that may help contain rising health care costs. However, increased access to information also brings greater responsibility. Employers must ensure that PBMs provide the required information and that the information is prudently reviewed and acted upon once received. In addition, the expanded disclosure obligations may lead PBMs to increase their administrative fees."  MORE >>

Summarizes recent guidance relating to retirement plans (Notice 2026-13 and Notice 2026-09) as well as the updated user fees provided in Rev. Proc. 2026-4.  MORE >>

"In addition to no formal meetings, there was 'no correspondence, no communications, no nothing' in 2025. Multiple members inquired about the status of the EAC in 2025 and none of those inquiries were answered ... The website for the Council confirms there was no output for 2025 and lists no nominees or an agenda for 2026."  MORE >>

"Plan sponsors and PBMs should anticipate that the DOL's final rule may be significantly revised to coordinate with CAA 2026's requirements. In particular, the DOL may need to reconsider its proposed July 1, 2026 applicability date, given that CAA 2026 does not take effect until January 1, 2029 for calendar-year plans, creating a potential gap period during which the DOL's more limited disclosure requirements would apply to self-insured ERISA plans before the broader CAA 2026 mandates take effect ... [A table] compares key elements of CAA 2026 and the DOL Proposed Rules."  MORE >>

"Other health coverage (including Medicare entitlement) that was in effect before a COBRA election does not disqualify a qualified beneficiary from electing COBRA. And because of the spouse's disability, COBRA coverage must be provided to everyone in the family for an extended period of up to 29 months."  MORE >>

"The complaint, originally filed in March 2020, alleges the defendants failed to negotiate comparable contractual terms for the 401(k) plan's guaranteed investment fund and the company's defined benefit plan. Consequently, the 401(k) plan's GIF paid a significantly lower interest rate than the identical investment in the pension plan." [Sweeney v. Nationwide Mutual Ins. Co., No. 20-1569 (S.D. Ohio Feb. 9, 2026)]  MORE >>

"The 2026 Amendments lower the employer-size threshold from 30 to 15 employees. They also ease eligibility to three months' tenure and 250 base hours in the prior 12 months.... The law adds a standalone reinstatement right for employees who receive Temporary Disability Insurance (TDI) or Family Leave Insurance (FLI) benefits.... Employers should quickly update policies, train managers on reinstatement/anti-retaliation, reconfigure timekeeping for 'base hours' and prepare notices."  MORE >>

"New Jersey employers employing between 15 and 29 employees who are currently not covered by the NJFLA will have obligations under the NJFLA beginning 17 July 2026. Employers both currently and newly covered by the NJFLA will need to consider the significantly reduced criteria for employees to become eligible for NJFLA leave."  MORE >>

"Auto portability is designed to reduce cash-outs, consolidate accounts, and keep retirement assets invested. Industry studies suggest that broad adoption of auto portability could help preserve up to $1.6 trillion in additional retirement savings over the coming decades."  MORE >>

"Pooled employer plans (PEPs) are the latest expansion in defined contribution plan outsourcing in the U.S., and pooled plan arrangements are well established across the globe ... Since the SECURE 2.0 Act passed in 2022, over 50,000 401(k) plan sponsors have adopted a PEP model. PEPs will soon become available to tax-exempt employers eligible to sponsor 403(b) plans."  MORE >>

"The court applied abuse‑of‑discretion review and concluded that the denial was supported by the plan's medical‑necessity criteria and the administrative record. The dissent, however, argued that the majority failed to meaningfully account for a structural conflict of interest and for the administrator's handling of treating‑provider evidence and prior failed lower levels of care." [R.R. v. California Physicians' Service d/b/a Blue Shield of California, No. 22-7707 (9th Cir. Jan. 27, 2026; unpub.)]  MORE >>