Q&AEmployee Benefits

Employer may have a duty to speak up when considering ERISA plan changes

Q: An employee recently gave notice that he is planning to retire at the end of the year. It has not yet been announced to employees, but the company is seriously considering implementing a new, more generous retirement plan early next year. I know that this employee would benefit if he stayed employed long enough to take part in the new plan. Do I have an obligation to tell him that?

Q&AEmployee Benefits

Electronic SPD Distribution Subject to DOL Rules

Q: It’s time consuming and expensive to print and distribute the summary plan descriptions (SPDs) and other plan materials for our medical and dental plans. Can I just e-mail them to employees, or better yet, post them on our company intranet site?

Drug and AlcoholEmployee BenefitsLeave Laws  

Alert: Initiatives on recreational marijuana and same-sex marriage raise questions for employers(WA)

Now that Washington voters have voted to legalize recreational marijuana use (I-502) and endorse same-sex marriage (R-74), employers have been asking whether these laws will impact their employment policies. Here’s Vigilant’s take on these two issues. Recreational marijuana use We don’t expect I-502 to affect employers’ ability to enforce their drug policies. The new law doesn’t…

Q&AEmployee Benefits

Employers should steer clear of Medicare incentives

Q: Can we pay our Medicare-eligible employees extra cash if they agree not to enroll in our health plan?

Employee Benefits

HIPAA violations can mean prison time

Think the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rules are just an exercise in compliance on paper? Think again. 

Employee Benefits

Don’t delay COBRA election notices

A recent court case shows why it’s so important to promptly send a COBRA notice to a qualified beneficiary after he or she experiences a COBRA qualifying event.

Employee BenefitsHealth Care Reform

Supreme Court hears challenge to federal health care reform law

Employee BenefitsHealth Care Reform

Health care reform: new guidance issued

Employee Benefits

IRS issues more guidance on Form W-2 reporting of health coverage

Employee Benefits

Beware coordinating benefits with Medicare