The City of Chicago has passed a Paid Leave and Paid Sick Leave Ordinance entitling covered employees up to 10 days of paid leave per year: 40 hours of leave for any reason (Paid Leave) and an additional 40 hours of Paid Sick...more
On Thursday, November 9, 2023, the Chicago City Council voted to approve a new paid time off ordinance, the “Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance.” This new ordinance replaces the Chicago Paid Sick Leave...more
“Legendary was the Xanadu where Kubla Kahn decreed his stately pleasure dome.” Legendary too were the colossal errors made by Mary Kane in this celebrated classic movie which follows a journalist as he tries to uncover the...more
As the year draws to a close, it is helpful for employers to pause to evaluate employee benefit plan amendment deadlines and other crucial fourth quarter considerations, including:...more
Participants in dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs) will get the best of both worlds (at least in 2021) under new guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). In another of what appears to be a seemingly...more
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has published Notice 2021-26 to provide answers regarding the taxability of benefits received in 2021 and 2022 under a dependent care assistance program (DCAP) that permits carryovers or...more
Much of the previous relief that had been granted to cafeteria plans during the COVID-19 pandemic was set to expire after 2020. In late December, though, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA), which...more
Though employers may feel like California just wrapped up its legislative session for 2020, the 2021 legislative session is already in full swing. February 19 was the last day for the proposal of new bills. However, Assembly...more
As discussed in our earlier LawFlash, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) contains certain permissible provisions plan sponsors may adopt to offer employees greater flexibility under a healthcare flexible spending...more
On February 18, 2021, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued clarifying guidance on the temporary special rules for health flexible spending arrangements (FSAs) and dependent care assistance programs (DCAPs) under Internal...more
Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA) provides a substantial amount of flexibility for the operation of health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). The CAA did, however, leave many...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (the “Act”) was signed into law on December 27, 2020. Buried within its 5,593 pages is some welcome flexibility relating to 2020 and 2021 health care and dependent care Flexible...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act (the “Act’”) was signed into law by the president on December 27, 2020, and includes significant health and welfare benefits provisions that affect group health plans and health insurance...more
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) provides certain COVID-19-related relief, including temporary additional flexibility regarding flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Employers have several practical considerations...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: On December 27, 2020, President Trump signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 which includes several provisions affecting employer-sponsored benefit plans, and provides voluntary relief related to...more
The president has signed into law the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020, which includes several temporary special rules aimed at minimizing forfeitures and increasing the utility of health and dependent...more
While paid sick leave is novel for employers in most of New York State, New York City employers are familiar with paid sick leave requirements. Nonetheless, New York City employers will need to revise their existing policies...more
As described in our prior alert, New York enacted the New York State Sick Leave Law (NYSSL) imposing sweeping paid sick leave requirements for New York employers. Under the NYSSL, employees begin to accrue paid sick leave on...more
Presented below is our summary of significant Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidance and relevant tax matters for the week of October 12, 2020 – October 16, 2020... October 13, 2020: The IRS published final regulations...more
Many employers have sought to leverage or make changes to their employer-sponsored benefits to address economic and health-related burdens faced by their employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Until now, however, employers...more
On May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Notice 2020-33 (the Notice), which increases the maximum health flexible spending account (FSA) carryover limit. The Notice also addresses a gap in existing guidance...more
The IRS recently issued Notice 2020-29, allowing §125 cafeteria plans and high-deductible health plan (HDHP) changes during the remainder of 2020....more
In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, on May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Code Section 125 (cafeteria plan) guidance (see IRS Notice 2020-29 and Notice 2020-33) that allows employers to...more
On May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued two notices permitting employers to offer new opportunities for employees to change their salary reduction elections under a cafeteria plan and avoid forfeitures of...more
The IRS released two Notices this week related to cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements (“FSAs”). Notice 2020-29 provides relief for cafeteria plans in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and Notice...more