Employee Benefits

U.S. Department of Labor Confirms Investment Advice Exemption

2023-04-17T11:25:18-04:00February 17th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Legislative News|

Includes important retirement investor protections; additional guidance forthcoming WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration has confirmed that “Improving Investment Advice for Worker & Retirees,” an exemption for investment advice fiduciaries, will go into effect as scheduled [...]

The Impact of COVID-19 on Paid Leave

2023-04-17T11:25:21-04:00January 21st, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, COVID-19 Updates, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Labor News, Legislative News|

Paid time off (PTO) is one of the employee benefits that employees value most. The pandemic, however, upset many employees’ PTO plans due to travel restrictions and the cancellation of trips and family gatherings. It has also raised numerous [...]

Department of Labor Clarifies Pay for Travel Time in Work-from-Home Era

2023-04-17T11:25:21-04:00January 18th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Labor News, Legislative News|

The U.S. Department of Labor issued an opinion letter addressing whether the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) continuous workday doctrine requires employers to pay employees for commute time when they complete part of their workday from home. An opinion [...]

EEOC Provides Proposed Wellness Rules

2023-04-17T11:25:22-04:00January 18th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Employee Wellness Programs, Legislative News, Wellness|

On January 7, 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”) released two notices of proposed rulemaking (“NPRMs”) on wellness programs under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”). Briefly, if finalized in their [...]

U.S. Department of Labor Announces Final Rule to Clarify Independent Contractor Status Under Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

2023-04-17T11:25:23-04:00January 11th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Labor News, Legislative News|

(VIA U.S. DOL) The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a final rule clarifying the standard for employee versus independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). “This rule brings long-needed clarity for American workers and employers,” [...]

OSHA Announces Deadline for 2020 Workplace Injury Data (Form 300A) Submission

2023-04-17T11:25:24-04:00January 8th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Employee Benefits, Labor News, Legislative News, Safety Tips, Workers Compensation|

OSHA is reminding employers to submit the 2020 Form 300A data electronically by March 2. The agency began collecting data for the calendar year on January 2. Establishments that have 250 or more employees and are required to keep [...]

Connecticut Legislative Update: What You Need to Know About the New Paid Family Medical Leave Act (PFMLA)

2023-04-17T11:25:25-04:00January 6th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, Connecticut News, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Labor News, Legislative News|

On January 1, 2021, a significant change in employment law for Connecticut employers of all sizes took effect.  Connecticut has joined many other states in creating a Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFMLA) that is very different than [...]

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker Signs New Health Care Law Safeguarding Telehealth Coverage

2023-04-17T11:25:26-04:00January 4th, 2021|2021, Benefits Administration, COVID-19 Updates, Employee Benefits, Employee Benefits Legislation, Legislative News, Massachusetts News|

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has signed into law a telehealth bill that mandates permanent payment parity for telehealth services and established parity for primary care and chronic care management for the next two years. After signing the bill on [...]

Maximize the Benefits of Your Health Savings Account (HSA)

2023-04-17T11:25:54-04:00December 10th, 2020|2020, Employee Benefits, Health Savings Accounts|

Many people who opt into Consumer Driven Health Plans (CDHP) don't make the most of the potential advantages of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and leave a lot of money on the table for themselves. Open enrollment for 2021 is [...]

Five Great Benefits of Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs)

2023-04-17T11:26:29-04:00November 23rd, 2020|2020, COVID-19 Updates, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Employee Benefits|

Much of the automotive, roads, and fuel industry has been deemed "essential" in 2020. Many of these essential workers have experienced high levels of stress and uncertainty, as well as put their health at risk by going to work.  [...]