Section 214 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, Pub. L. 116-260 (the “Act”), allows sponsors of health and dependent care flexible spending arrangements (“FSAs”) to delay forfeitures of unused account balances for 2020 and 2021 plan years and grant participants,
Inside Jobs
Employment and Benefits
Inside Jobs is a blog published by Covington & Burling LLP that focuses on employment law and workplace regulatory developments. It covers legislative changes, compliance obligations, and enforcement trends affecting employers and employees, including topics such as employment rights reforms, anti-discrimination laws, pay transparency, equal pay, and the impact of emerging technologies like AI on employment practices. The blog also addresses government guidance and agency priorities related to workplace discrimination, labor standards, and workforce management. It serves as a resource for understanding legal and policy shifts in employment law, particularly in the United States and California.
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Five New Ways That Plan Fiduciaries May Locate Missing Participants
By Inside Jobs
On January 12, 2021, the Employee Benefits Security Administration (“EBSA”) of the Department of Labor (“DOL”) announced new guidance on a range of issues related to missing participants:
…
California’s AB 685 Expands Employers’ COVID-19 Notification Requirements, Effective January 1
Effective January 1, 2021, California employers will be required under Assembly Bill (AB) 685 to provide detailed notices to employees when there is a COVID-19 case in the workplace and to notify local public health departments of COVID-19 “outbreaks” in…
California Employers Must Comply with New Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Workplace Safety Standards
On November 30, 2020, emergency temporary COVID-19 workplace standards (“ETS”) issued by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (“Cal/OSHA”) took effect. The ETS, which requires stringent workplace protocols intended to curb the spread of COVID-19, applies to all…
Final Rules Require Health Plans to Publicly Disclose Reimbursement Rates
On October 29, 2020, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor and the Department of the Treasury released the final “Transparency in Coverage” rule. The rule requires most group health plans and issuers to provide…
California’s New FSA Notice Requirement Leaves Employers Asking Questions
By Inside Jobs
Employers that have employees residing in California are now required by AB 1554 to provide notification in two different forms to employees about deadlines for withdrawing funds from flexible spending accounts (“FSAs”). One of the forms of notification may be…
Extension of the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
On Saturday 31 October, the UK Government announced a new national lockdown and confirmed the extension of the existing Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, more commonly referred to as the “furlough” scheme.
In this alert, we set out what the UK…
IRS Updates Guidance on Qualified Plan Distributions to State Unclaimed Property Funds
The IRS recently published new guidance on the tax withholding and reporting consequences associated with qualified retirement plan distributions to state unclaimed property funds. In Revenue Ruling 2020-24, the IRS clarified that distributions from qualified retirement plans to state…
California to Require Annual Pay Data Reporting to DFEH
In an effort to close gender and racial pay gaps, California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed Senate Bill (SB) 973 to require certain California employers to submit an annual pay data report to the Department of Fair Employment and Housing…
New York Employees May Begin Using New Paid Sick Leave Benefits on January 1, 2021
New York State’s new paid sick leave law (“NYSSL”) took effect on September 30, 2020, requiring employers to allow employees to begin accruing paid sick leave benefits immediately. Employees may use their accrued leave under the NYSSL starting January 1,…