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DOL Crypto Guidance Heeds Strong Warning to Retirement Plan Sponsors Looking to Add Digital Asset Investments to Retirement Plan Lineups

Directly on the heels of the Biden Administration’s digital asset Executive Order issued on March 9, 2022[1] (Executive Order), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published its own guidance on the use of cryptocurrencies as a 401(k) plan investment in Compliance Assistance Release No. 2022-01 (CAR).   The DOL guidance is not limited to crypto, but … Continue Reading

Target Date Fund Performance Litigation – Advice for Plan Fiduciaries

In recent years, there have been more than 150 lawsuits alleging violations of ERISA[1] fiduciary obligations that are based on “excessive fees” being charged to participants in defined contribution retirement plans. A more recent trend also seems to be focusing on the investment performance of target date funds. This Post discusses that litigation trend, and … Continue Reading

Free And Extended COBRA Coverage Under The American Rescue Plan Act Of 2021: Update

Section 9501 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “ARPA”)[1] requires certain employers to offer free COBRA coverage to certain individuals between April 1, 2021 and September 30, 2021.  The ARPA provides tax credits to employers to offset the cost of the COBRA coverage.  The right to free COBRA coverage extends to some … Continue Reading

Free And Extended COBRA Coverage Under The American Rescue Plan Act OF 2021

Section 9501 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (the “ARPA”)[1] requires employers to extend offers of free COBRA coverage to certain individuals for the period from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021.  The ARPA then provides tax credits as means of offsetting the costs of the free COBRA coverage.  The law also … Continue Reading

Qualified Disaster Tax Relief – Retirement Plans and Employee Retention Credits

Besides the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 has also had its share of other disasters, including hurricanes, floods and fires. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “CAA”) has provisions that are designed to provide tax relief for individuals and employers who have been adversely affected by one of the numerous federally declared “Qualified Disasters”. These provisions of … Continue Reading

Stimulus Bill Extends the Availability of Employee Retention Credits

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (the “CAA”) extends through June 30, 2021, the Employee Retention Credit provisions of Section 2301 of the CARES Act. It also favorably modifies the rules for claiming the Employee Retention Credits. These changes are generally effective as of January 1, 2021. These provisions of the CAA are found in Sections … Continue Reading

Supreme Court Ruling Limits Insurer and Employer Contraceptive Obligations (US)

Stacey Grundman and Doug Anderson recently published an article on the Supreme Court’s decision adopted under the Trump administration significantly cutting back the requirement that insurers and group health plans provide coverage for contraceptives without cost sharing under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on our Employment Law Worldview blog. To read the full blog post online here.… Continue Reading

COVID-19: Expenses of Working from Home – The Tax Rules

The coronavirus (COVID-19) ‘lock-down’ has necessitated large swathes of the working population to perform their duties from home. As a result, working-from-home has become the ‘new normal’ for many employees in recent months. Employers will be considering how best to assist their employees to work most efficiently and effectively from home while the lock-down endures. … Continue Reading

COVID-19: UK Employee Share Schemes

Employee retention is a high priority for businesses grappling with the profound impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Employee share schemes remain a versatile and valuable way to retain important employees. However, many may not have considered the unexpectedly adverse tax consequences that some of the UK government’s business support measures (including, for example, … Continue Reading

Is LGPS Governance Up To Scratch?

From asset pooling and actuarial valuations to administration and data, local government pension schemes have a lot to think about this year – meaning good governance is more important than ever. In this podcast episode recorded for Pensions Expert, Kirsty Bartlett, partner in our Pensions team, and Ian Colvin, head of LGPS Benefits and Governance … Continue Reading

Retirement Savings Reform – a focus for the Trump Administration and Congress

On August 31, 2018, President Trump issued an Executive Order directing the Department of Labor (DOL) and Treasury Department to take action to “promote retirement security for America’s workers” by, among other things, expanding access to Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs).  Specifically, within 180 days of the issuance of the Executive Order, DOL must “consider…whether to … Continue Reading

How2 Do Pensions

To mark Pensions Awareness Day 2017, Squire Patton Boggs launches a series of free “How2 Do Pensions” guides! Each issue will provide a valuable speed brief on a key aspect of UK occupational pensions. The first two instalments summarise employer automatic enrolment duties and how to move to electronic member communications. Further instalments will follow each … Continue Reading

Age ain’t nothing but a number

With a whirlwind of changes enforced in the last seven years the state pension age, which remained unchanged from the 1940s until 2010, is yet again in for a shake-up. On 18 July, David Gauke, Work and Pensions secretary announced plans to bring forward the increase in state pension age to 68 – this will … Continue Reading

The IBM appeal – when is a pensions promise not a promise?

Employers can pursue pension plan change with renewed vigour following the publication of the judgment in the IBM appeal. They can now be less concerned about whether promises they have made in the past may bind them into the future, as the weight of an employee’s “reasonable expectations” argument has been significantly downgraded making it … Continue Reading

“Show Time!” for the US Labor Department’s Fiduciary Rule

It may be show time for the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Fiduciary Rule (the “Rule”), but don’t expect an elaborate production.  Think frustrated, reluctant actors on a bare stage with no lights or scenery implementing the previous Administration’s regulatory approach to protecting retirees and retirement savings from conflicted investment advice. After a long and … Continue Reading

IRS complicates health plan waivers of coverage

Many employers provide a cash payment to an employee who waives employee medical plan coverage.  Contrary to popular belief, this practice is not “illegal” under U.S. law.  However, because of new guidance contained in IRS Notice, 2015-87 (December 16, 2015), employers may want to provide “waiver payments” to U.S. employees, only if they can show … Continue Reading

Plus ça change: amendment to principles of UK executive remuneration

As we previously reported, the guidelines on executive remuneration (formerly known as the ABI guidelines) have now come under the auspices of the Investment Association (“IA”).  As usual at this time of year, the guidelines (or principles, as we should now call them) have been dusted down. The only substantive change to the principles is that long-term incentives … Continue Reading

Budgeting for employee healthcare costs

We anticipate that the significant increase in insurance premium tax that was announced in the UK Summer Budget on 8 July will encourage many more employers to explore corporate healthcare trusts. IPT will increase from 6% to 9.5% from November 2015. This will apply to employee health insurance policies like all other UK insurance products. … Continue Reading

EEOC issues new Regulations on Wellness Plans

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission just released proposed regulations related to wellness plans, finally lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding its actions.  The EEOC regulations apply to wellness plans that include disability related inquiries or “medical exams” The EEOC’s regulations are designed to allow employers to continue to provide financial incentives to employees, up to … Continue Reading
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