The rate of change in the employment and benefits area seems to be accelerating. This alert addresses some of the changes that have been of most concern to our clients.
Observations on Long-Time Part-Time Employee...more
7/30/2024
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employees ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fiduciary Rule ,
Minimum Wage ,
New Regulations ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Over-Time ,
Pay Transparency ,
SECURE Act ,
Wage and Hour
The Internal Revenue Service delivered an unexpected surprise to taxpayers in Massachusetts and Maine this week by postponing to February 15, 2024 the deadline for various individual and business tax returns and tax payments...more
9/29/2023
/ Business Ownership ,
Business Taxes ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Hurricane Season ,
IRS ,
Natural Disasters ,
State and Local Government ,
Tax Planning ,
Tax Relief ,
Tax Returns
SECURE 2.0 Act -
As part of a large year-end piece of legislation, the provisions known as SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”) were enacted into law. SECURE 2.0 represents a broadly bipartisan piece of legislation that...more
3/7/2023
/ 401k ,
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ,
CARES Act ,
Covered Entities ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Distribution Rules ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
EPCRS ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
HRA ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
PHI ,
Proposed Rules ,
Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act (“PUMP Act”) ,
SECURE Act ,
State Labor Laws ,
Training
The Federal Vaccine Mandate - Preparing for OSHA's COVID-19 Requirements - The Occupational Safety and Health Administration ("OSHA") has released an Emergency Temporary Standard ("ETS") regarding COVID-19-related compliance...more
11/29/2021
/ 401k ,
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Mandates ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
OSHA ,
Vaccinations
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020 (CARES Act), the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) and now the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) each include many provisions that affect...more
4/29/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
CARES Act ,
COBRA ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Fringe Benefits ,
Premium Subsidies ,
Relief Measures ,
Retirement Plan ,
SECURE Act
On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 ("CAA" or the "Act") was signed into law. The 2,100+page CAA is made up of 32 Divisions. The significant business and individual taxpayer related provisions are...more
1/26/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Economic Aid Act ,
Economic Injury Disaster Loans ,
Employee Retention ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Relief Measures ,
Retirement Plan Providers ,
Tax Deductions
The Internal Revenue Service has been busy issuing guidance over the last month or so on various retirement benefit issues. We want to be sure you are aware of these important updates.
Retirement plan and IRA liquidity...more
7/21/2020
/ 401k ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Deferred Compensation ,
Distribution Rules ,
Employee Benefits ,
Income Taxes ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
New Guidance ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
Tax Returns
This alert, from the Employment & Benefits practice group, focuses on the various retirement, welfare and fringe benefit related changes that have come out of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the CARES...more
On March 13, 2020, the President issued a determination under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the “Stafford Act”). A consequence of that action is that payments from employers to employees...more
We want to share with you our views on some benefits-related questions affecting group health plans that have been coming up recently as employers deal with the coronavirus.
HIPAA in the Age of COVID-19 – In February, the...more
We want to share with you some recent informal developments from the Internal Revenue Service that could be concerning for sponsors of retirement plans.
VCP Rumors – A report recently emerged that the IRS is considering a...more
The SECURE Act: What It Is And What It Is NOT -
As part of a large year-end piece of legislation, the provisions known as the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Security Act (the “SECURE Act”) were enacted into...more
1/29/2020
/ 401k ,
403(b) Plans ,
Contribution Limits ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Form 5500 ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
IRS ,
Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) ,
Required Minimum Distributions ,
Retirement Plan ,
Safe Harbors ,
SECURE Act ,
Training Requirements
Under pressure from business groups, Governor Baker and the leadership of the Massachusetts Legislature have announced an agreement to postpone the start of the new Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave ("PFML") law by...more
On June 28, 2018, Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (“PFML”) became law. PFML does not become available as a benefit until 2021, but employer obligations are beginning right now.
The new law applies to virtually...more
A new ruling was released last Friday by the Internal Revenue Service that presents a very intriguing possibility for employers looking to economically support employees with student debt burdens. The idea is that an employee...more
NEW TAX LAW MAKES CHANGES TO COMMUTING BENEFITS -
...The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (“TCJA”) generally eliminates employer deductions for commuter transportation and parking fringe benefits. This includes deductions...more
2/22/2018
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Bi-Partison Balanced Budget Act (BBA) ,
Compensation & Benefits ,
Corporate Taxes ,
Employee Benefits ,
Income Taxes ,
IRS ,
New Legislation ,
Pass-Through Entities ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retirement Plan ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Rates ,
Threshold Requirements ,
Wage and Hour
The nuances of the Social Security and Medicare tax system – collectively FICA taxes – continue to confound and increase the potential liability of employers who are not well versed in this area....more
New Relief for Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements -
As mentioned in prior advisories, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and Treasury have taken the position that employers cannot reimburse...more
1/24/2017
/ 21st Century Cures Act ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Covered Entities ,
Employee Benefits ,
Excise Tax ,
Filing Deadlines ,
Form 1094 ,
Form 1095 ,
HRA ,
IRS ,
Medicare Part B ,
Medicare Part D ,
Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Plan (QSEHRAs) ,
Self-Insured Health Plans ,
W-2