Without wasting any time in the New Year, on Friday, January 5th, the United States Department of Labor (DOL) announced that the ERISA claims handling regulations that were effective January of last year and delayed until April 1, 2018, will indeed be applicable to disability claims filed on or after April 1, 2018. The DOL … Continued
ReedGroup’s compliance attorneys presented leave of absence highlights from 2017 at the final Disability Management Employer Coalition’s (DMEC) Colorado chapter meeting on Thursday, December 7th. The presentation focused on an annual wrap-up of the legislative changes, notable cases, and agency action related to leave of absence and disability. 2017 proved to be fruitful for legislators, … Continued
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) announced its Final Rule, issuing a 90-day delay to the applicability of the ERISA disability claims handling regulations (ERISA Regulation Amendments). The DOL’s Final Rule delaying the ERISA Regulation Amendments is set for official publication on Wednesday, November 29. In response to concerns that … Continued
ReedGroup’s VP of Compliance goes to Washington: Sits on panel with Labor Secretary, Hon. Alexander Acosta and EEOC’s Acting Chair Victoria Lipnic Last week I was honored to participate on a panel with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) Acting Chair, Victoria Lipnic, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Alex Acosta, and … Continued
Today the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), proposing a 90-day delay to the applicability of the ERISA disability claims handling regulations. The DOL’s NPRM is set for official publication on Thursday, October 12th. In December of 2016, the DOL issued a Final Rule amending … Continued
Saturday, August 5, 2017 marks the 24th anniversary of the day the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) became effective. Signed by President Bill Clinton on February 5, 1993, and made effective on August 5, 1993, the FMLA provides eligible employees with the right to job-protected unpaid leave for qualifying family and medical reasons. Under … Continued
ReedGroup informed you in December of changes to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act’s (ERISA’s) regulations impacting disability benefits. On July 20th, the Trump administration announced that these regulations are part of the Spring 2017 Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions. These regulations are now on review for “law and policy” to determine … Continued
Leave administration is not easy…just ask Staples. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) just announced a consent decree for Staples’ failure to properly administer FMLA leave. The consent decree is based on Staples’ failure notify employee Jeffrey Angstadt of his FMLA rights and properly apply FMLA protections to his leave. The result? Staples must pay … Continued
New DOL FMLA FORMS! The Department of Labor (DOL) has released new FMLA medical certification forms, effective through May of 2018. Not much need for excitement though; the key change is a reference to the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), adding instructions for health care providers regarding the disclosure of genetic information. Many employers and … Continued
By: Compliance Team Since the United States Supreme Court decision in the case United States v. Windsor, employers are scrambling to ensure that benefits provided to employees and their spouses are correctly applied to same-sex spouses, as now required by law. We’ve written on the impact of the Windsor case as it applies to leaves … Continued
Reed Group’s Chief Compliance Officer, Marti Cardi, was a lead speaker at the opening sessions of the 2013 Annual conference for the Disability Management Employer Coalition in Atlanta last week. The conference focused this year on mental and behavioral health issues. Keynote speaker Rosalynn Carter addressed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and … Continued
