HR Compliance / Legislation Updates

President Biden Reveals Plan to End National COVID-19 Emergency
Read Time: 5 Minutes

On January 30 President Biden issued a statement of policy to Congress in which he announced that the administration plans to end both the National Emergency related to COVID-19 originally declared by President Trump in 2020 and the public health emergency (PHE) declared by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also in 2020. The ongoing declarations currently are set to expire on March 1 and April 11, respectively. The President’s statement announces the administration’s plan to end both declarations effective as of May 11, 2023... Keep Reading

Your Bim Group Account Management team will monitor how the carriers / TPAs are planning to address these regulatory changes and update our employer group partners as information becomes available.

WEBINAR:

Shedding Light on Qualifying Events and Special Enrollment Periods

Tuesday, February 14, 2023
2:00PM EST

Attend this month’s webinar to learn how, when, and why the Internal Revenue Service allows an employee to make midyear election changes.

Gain insights into:

Section 125 irrevocable plan elections
Which family members are impacted by permitted changes, and the "family glitch"
Common HR errors and oversights

Be able to answer these questions:

When can (and can’t) employees make a change outside of open enrollment?
How are tax-favored accounts impacted by permitted changes?
What applicable plan documents should an employer have and what are the penalties for non-compliance?

In conjunction with our alliance with United Benefit Advisors, you have the opportunity to learn more about the latest compliance trends and regulations from one of the nation's leading employment and benefit law firms, Fisher Phillips. Normally the cost of the 60 minute Webinar is $200, but we are pleased to offer it to you free of charge. Simply click the blue button below to register, and be sure to use the coupon code UBA410EW.

DOL Announces 2023 Penalties for Health & Welfare Plan Compliance Errors
Read Time: 4 Minutes

Since 2015, federal agencies have been required to annually review the laws and regulations they enforce to adjust applicable penalties for inflation. These adjustments, or so the theory goes, provide higher incentives for plan sponsors to ensure their benefit plans and programs remain compliant. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) must adjust penalties under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) annually. The DOL recently issued its annual adjusted amounts for penalties assessed after January 15, 2023, for violations that occur after November 2, 2015.

Learn More

4 Employee Handbook Policies to Watch in 2023

Source: Mineral

There aren’t rules for how frequently you should update your handbook, but given laws do change, it’s smart to be proactive so you don’t get caught off guard. An updated employee handbook helps employees understand what’s expected of them, and helps managers ensure company policies are followed. We’ve identified four reasons to revisit your employee handbook in 2023.

Personal Appearance/Grooming (CROWN Acts)
EEO (for CROWN acts and many others)
Sick leave policies
State Family and Medical Leave

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Compliance Question of the Week

Q: Can I limit the number of times an employee makes changes to their W-4?

A: No. IRS guidance states that an employee has the right to make changes to their Form W-4 as often as they would like, and you, as the employer, need to make those changes, even if they’re frequent. The only exceptions are if the Form W-4 is invalid or if you have been previously notified by the IRS that the employee is subject to an IRS "lock-in letter."