As Massachusetts employers look ahead to 2026, the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) has released its annual updates to the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. While the maximum weekly benefit will...more
Illinois will soon require fully insured health policies issued in the state to cover parents and stepparents who qualify as dependents, and employers that sponsor these group health plans must take note. This expansion of...more
Two new federal laws bring good news to employers subject to reporting and other requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). President Biden approved laws in December that not only ease the...more
1/28/2025
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Applicable Large Employers (ALE) ,
Biden Administration ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Mandates ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Form 1095 ,
Health Insurance ,
IRS ,
New Legislation ,
Penalties ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Shared Responsibility Rule
The HIPAA Security Rule may soon undergo a big overhaul that would better defend healthcare data from cybersecurity threats – and require much more from covered entities when it comes to establishing and maintaining defenses....more
1/7/2025
/ Business Associates ,
Comment Period ,
Covered Entities ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cyber Threats ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) ,
Health Care Providers ,
HIPAA Security Rule ,
Incident Response Plans ,
Proposed Rules ,
Public Comment ,
Risk Management
A wave of ERISA class-action lawsuits is challenging tobacco surcharge programs in employer-sponsored health plans across the U.S. These cases center on potential fiduciary breaches, with plaintiffs arguing that surcharges...more
11/26/2024
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Breach of Duty ,
Class Action ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Health Plan Sponsors ,
Popular ,
Premiums ,
Surcharges ,
Tobacco ,
Wellness Programs
Employees can contribute more pre-tax dollars next year to their retirement savings accounts, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, according to an IRS announcement made on November 1. Your eligible workers will be able to defer...more
The Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development has announced important updates to state employment benefits for 2025. The State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) has increased modestly to $1,829.13 from...more
Uber and Lyft just reached a $175 million settlement with Massachusetts state prosecutors that permits their drivers to stay classified as independent contractors – not employees – but entitles the drivers to significant...more
The Supreme Court just rejected an employer’s argument that a whistleblower needs to show the employer acted with retaliatory intent to prove retaliation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), a federal law that protects...more
Does a fired whistleblower need to show their employer acted with retaliatory intent to prove retaliation under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)? The Supreme Court has been asked to review the standard of proof in such cases –...more
1/19/2024
/ Adverse Employment Action ,
Defense Strategies ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Employment Litigation ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Retaliation ,
Sarbanes-Oxley ,
SCOTUS ,
Standard of Proof ,
Whistleblower Protection Policies ,
Whistleblowers
Many people feel emboldened to publicly share their views on all sorts of controversial topics these days – politics, international relations, religion, culture, or any number of other incendiary areas where there are bound...more