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Retirement plan compliance priorities for Fiscal Year 2018 released September 28 by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) indicated the agency’s Employee Plans (EP) unit will emphasize analyzing plan failure trends, refine outreach, and other communications about noncompliance, and enhance its knowledge management program. In an era of doing more with less, the IRS has shifted […]
The maximum wage base for Social Security tax will be $128,400 in 2018, up from $127,200 in 2017, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) announced. (Note: The original 2018 wage base announced on October 13 was $128,700; this amount was revised by the SSA in late November.)
Over six out of 10 (63%) employees with employer-sponsored insurance say they are concerned this open enrollment season about their plans’ out-of-pocket medical costs increasing in 2018, according to a new survey. The research also gleaned employees’ attitudes towards the enrollment process.
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on October 16 announced a pilot program to offer mediation in some Termination Liability Collection and Early Warning Program (EWP) cases. PBGC’s Pilot Mediation Project will allow parties to resolve cases with the assistance of an independent dispute resolution professional.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) raised several annual threshold and benefit levels for 2018 when it announced them on October 19. Employers and retirement plan administrators can apply the new rates as they prepare their plans for next year and conduct nondiscrimination testing. Notice 2017-64 outlined the latest changes to cost-of-living adjustments for employee benefit […]
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) withdrew a proposed rule that would have required health plans, including employer group health plans, to certify compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) transaction standards or face potentially stiff penalties.
Faced with a rapid increase in the number of caregivers in the workplace, Northeast Business Group on Health (NEBGH) and AARP have launched Supporting Caregivers in the Workplace: A Practical Guide for Employers.
In this article, we’ll look at some of the key benefits 401(k)s provide to both employees and employers, as well as some important practical considerations. Many thanks to Arris Murphy, J.D., Contributing Editor to BLR’s The 401(k) Handbook, from which the material for this piece originated.
The Kentucky Court of Appeals recently upheld the termination of a nurse who unintentionally disclosed a patient’s confidential health information while she was conducting a procedure.
Employees of a cheese manufacturer decided to break into the food safety business while they were still employed by the company. The employer suspected cheese sabotage when it discovered its food safety and cheese-making manuals in the employees’ workspace and terminated their employment.