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Happy 10th Birthday, EforERISA

December 16, 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of our first post on this blog and this week EforERISA is debuting a fresh new look and redesign courtesy of Ashli Smith and her team at Spotted Monkey Marketing. We are always looking for ways to make this site better and more impactful so your constructive criticism and comments on the redesign are welcome. We also welcome suggestions on topics to cover in our future posts. 2021 promises to be a busy year on the benefits front, with a new administration in gear and light…

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In Rehire Mode? Keep March 31, 2021 in Mind for Your 401(k) Plan

If your business is one of the many that reduced employees in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to keep March 31, 2021 marked on your calendar, particularly if you are fortunate enough to be ramping up activity and adding workers back to your payroll. As explained in our earlier post, when employer action, including as the result of an economic downturn, results in 20% or more of the population of an employee retirement plan being terminated from employment, a presumption arises that a “partial plan termination” has occurred, with…

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“I am a benefits (ERISA) attorney. I help businesses prevent, and fix, problems with their employee benefit plans in order to preserve the tax-qualified status of those plans, and ultimately the saleability of their businesses.”

-Christine P. Roberts

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Christine P. Roberts
Mullen & Henzell L.L.P.
phone: (805) 966-1501
email: croberts@mullenlaw.com

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Recent Posts

Happy 10th Birthday, EforERISA

December 16, 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of our first post on this blog and this week EforERISA is debuting a fresh new look and redesign courtesy of Ashli Smith and her team at Spotted Monkey Marketing. We are always looking for ways to make this site better and more impactful so your constructive criticism and comments on the redesign are welcome. We also welcome suggestions on topics to cover in our future posts. 2021 promises to be a busy year on the benefits front, with a new administration in gear and light…

Continue reading → Happy 10th Birthday, EforERISA

In Rehire Mode? Keep March 31, 2021 in Mind for Your 401(k) Plan

If your business is one of the many that reduced employees in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to keep March 31, 2021 marked on your calendar, particularly if you are fortunate enough to be ramping up activity and adding workers back to your payroll. As explained in our earlier post, when employer action, including as the result of an economic downturn, results in 20% or more of the population of an employee retirement plan being terminated from employment, a presumption arises that a “partial plan termination” has occurred, with…

Continue reading → In Rehire Mode? Keep March 31, 2021 in Mind for Your 401(k) Plan

Honey, I Shrunk the Incentive: EEOC Proposes Wellness Regulations

EEOC regulations proposed in the final days of the Trump Administration would, if finalized, reduce the permissible incentive for participatory wellness programs to a de minimis amount – such as a water bottle or T-shirt.  The current incentive cap is equal to 30% of an individual group health premium, which works out to around $180 per month.  The Biden Administration has withdrawn the proposed regulations from publication in the Federal Register under a regulatory freeze pending review.  Although they may not be finalized in their current form, the proposed regulations reflect the thinking…

Continue reading → Honey, I Shrunk the Incentive: EEOC Proposes Wellness Regulations

COVID-19 Vaccines: Employer Mandate & Incentive Issues UPDATED

Regular readers of this blog know that I limit my practice to ERISA and employee benefit issues. However, my partner Paul Wilcox has stepped in as a guest co-author to address the employment law issues around COVID-19 vaccines and your workforce (Q&A 1 – 4, below). I follow up below with a few questions on using wellness incentives to encourage employees to get vaccinated. This updated post reflects EEOC guidance on COVID-19 vaccinations that was issued on December 16, 2020. Q.1: Now that COVID-19 vaccines are coming, can I require employees be vaccinated…

Continue reading → COVID-19 Vaccines: Employer Mandate & Incentive Issues UPDATED

The Song Remains the Same: Few 2021 COLA Adjustments for Retirement Plans

On October 26, 2020, the IRS announced 2021 cost-of-living adjustments for annual contribution and other dollar limits affecting 401(k) and other retirement plans.  The maximum annual limit on salary deferral contributions to 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans remained the same for 2021 as it was in 2020, at $19,500, and the catch-up contribution limit for employees age 50 and older also stayed the same at $6,500.  The SIMPLE employee contribution limit of $13,500 was also unchanged, as were the annual deductible IRA contribution and age 50 catch-up limits ($6,000 and $1,000, respectively).  The…

Continue reading → The Song Remains the Same: Few 2021 COLA Adjustments for Retirement Plans