New York has officially joined the growing list of states requiring certain private employers to offer retirement savings options. The New York Secure Choice Savings Program (Secure Choice or the Program) is moving closer to...more
8/21/2025
/ 401k ,
Automatic Enrollment ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Individual Retirement Account (IRA) ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
New York ,
Payroll Deductions ,
Qualified Retirement Plans ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retirement Plan ,
Roth IRA ,
State and Local Government ,
State Labor Laws
On August 7, 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Order designed to broaden access to alternative investments, such as private equity, commodities, real estate, and certain digital assets, for participants in...more
8/19/2025
/ 401k ,
Defined Contribution Plans ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Digital Assets ,
Donald Trump ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Loper Bright Enterprises v Raimondo ,
Private Equity ,
Private Equity Funds ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
It is increasingly evident that artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping all facets of business, and its impact on employee benefit plans is no exception. From automating plan administration to personalizing participant...more
7/30/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Compliance ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Security ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Fiduciary Duty ,
Investment ,
Investment Management ,
Retirement Plan ,
Risk Management ,
Transparency ,
Vendors
President Donald Trump signed H.R. 1, “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), on July 4. The OBBBA affects a wide range of workplace issues, including immigration, benefits, and employment tax liabilities. Below is only a brief...more
7/15/2025
/ 1099s ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Responsibilities ,
Employment Authorization Documents (EAD) ,
ESTA ,
Federal Taxes ,
Foreign Workers ,
HSA ,
Immigration Procedures ,
New Legislation ,
One Big Beautiful Bill Act ,
Over-Time ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Tax Credits ,
Tax Deductions ,
Tax Reform ,
Tax Relief ,
Temporary Protected Status ,
Tipped Employees ,
Tips ,
Workplace Safety
Explained in more detail below, under the recent vacatur of most of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy (the “Reproductive Health Rule”):
• The broad prohibitions on disclosing protected...more
6/30/2025
/ Administrative Procedure Act ,
Attestation Requirements ,
CARES Act ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
HIPAA Privacy Rule ,
Injunctions ,
Judicial Authority ,
Notice of Privacy Practices ,
PHI ,
Privacy Laws ,
Privacy Rule ,
Public Health ,
Reproductive Healthcare Issues ,
SCOTUS ,
Statutory Authority ,
Texas ,
Trump v CASA ,
Vacated
Each year, National Employee Benefits Day is a chance to reflect on the ever-changing landscape of employer-sponsored benefits. Indeed, this year may be the most pivotal since 2020’s COVID-19 relief guidance. Affecting the...more
In response to taxpayer and state government requests, including a 2024 letter from governors of nine states imploring the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to clarify the federal tax treatment of premiums and benefits under...more
1/30/2025
/ Employee Benefits ,
Employee Contributions ,
Employment Tax ,
Excise Tax ,
Income Taxes ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Paid Family Leave Insurance Program ,
Paid Leave ,
Self-Insurance ,
State Labor Laws ,
Tax Liability ,
Tax Planning ,
Taxable Income
As we prepare for another change in Administration in the White House, it is crucial for employers and plan sponsors to stay informed and prepared. While much of what lies ahead is speculative, understanding these possible...more
12/2/2024
/ 401k ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Benefit Plan Sponsors ,
Employee Benefits ,
Flexible Spending Accounts ,
Health and Welfare Plans ,
HSA ,
ICHRA ,
Immigration ,
Retirement Plan ,
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ,
Trump Administration ,
Wage and Hour
As many expected based on the draft opinion that was leaked months ago, the U.S. Supreme Court has held the U.S. Constitution does not protect the right to obtain an abortion....more
On May 2, 2022, a draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health was leaked to the press, and as a result the Court is expected to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey,...more
6/15/2022
/ Abortion ,
Affordable Care Act ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Health Savings Accounts ,
Mental Health Parity Rule ,
Planned Parenthood ,
Roe v Wade ,
SCOTUS
On March 29, 2022, the House of Representatives passed the Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 (“SECURE 2.0”, HR 2954). The vote was largely supported by both parties (414-5). The Senate will likely act on the bill...more
On November 15, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law. According to the White House, the IIJA will play an important role in rebuilding and improving roads,...more
11/24/2021
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Climate Change ,
Construction Industry ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Davis-Bacon Act ,
Drinking Water ,
Employee Retention ,
Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Environmental Remediation Costs ,
Infrastructure ,
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) ,
IRS ,
Joe Biden ,
Labor Shortage ,
Manufacturers ,
Popular ,
Roads ,
Technology Sector ,
Transportation Industry ,
Wage and Hour
In much-anticipated guidance, the Internal Revenue Service has offered its insight on the implementation of the COBRA temporary premium subsidy provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) in Notice 2021-31...more
On May 11, 2021, the City Council of New York enacted a local law to establish a retirement savings program for certain employees of private entities.
What are the Details?
The new law creates a mandatory...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 expands upon some popular tax credit provisions and makes other changes to a key tax provision regarding compensation deduction limitations. These changes are summarized below...more
3/15/2021
/ American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 ,
Biden Administration ,
CARES Act ,
Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Employee Retention ,
Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
Non-Discrimination Rules ,
Paid Leave ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Relief Measures ,
Tax Credits ,
Wage and Hour
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Act) generally provides the annual funding for the federal government and contains several important rules giving further COVID-19 relief. These include, among other things,...more
Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), which disallows the deduction by any publicly held corporation with respect to certain compensation paid to a covered employee over $1,000,000, was amended by the 2017 Tax...more
The Internal Revenue Service has issued Notice 2020-65 to provide guidance on the employment tax deferral that is the subject of President Donald Trump’s August 8, 2020, Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in...more
On August 8, 2020, President Donald Trump issued the Memorandum on Deferring Payroll Tax Obligations in Light of the Ongoing COVID-19 Disaster (Executive Order).
Pursuant to the Executive Order, the Secretary of the Treasury...more
Senate Republicans have introduced the Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act, a nearly one-trillion-dollar stimulus package comprised of a package of bills that includes the Continuing...more
The IRS issued proposed regulations under Section 4960 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), which was added as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The proposed regulations published in the Federal...more
In response to employer complaints that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was not particularly useful to businesses (such as restaurants) that have had to remain shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed...more
6/8/2020
/ Borrowers ,
CARES Act ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Extensions ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 (PPPFA) ,
Payroll Taxes ,
Safe Harbors ,
SBA ,
Small Business ,
Small Business Loans ,
Tax Deferral
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued guidance on the forgiveness provisions applicable to loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the CARES Act...more
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued guidance on the forgiveness provisions applicable to loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the CARES Act...more
Recent statements by Small Business Administration (SBA) and Treasury Department officials have confused many Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) borrowers and led many to return PPP funds or consider doing so. Finally, the SBA...more