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Understanding Expanded Subsidies for COBRA Coverage
On March 11, 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) expanding COVID-19 relief efforts. Under this new law, the federal government is covering 100% of the cost of qualifying COBRA coverage from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021....
DOL Release of Model COBRA Notices
The DOL has released the Model COBRA Notices for use with all new election notifications, as well as notifications for individuals that experienced involuntary terminations and are still in their initial 18 month COBRA period, under the ARPA subsidy rules. The full...
Returning Workforce and COVID-19 Vaccines – HR Toolkit
The COVID-19 pandemic has been raging for months. In that time, many businesses have ceased operations out of safety concerns and have waited for the right opportunity to resume. Now, with COVID- 19 vaccines becoming available, employers can finally start planning for...
ARPA COBRA Subsidy Q&A
Q: I was terminated in August 2020, and never elected COBRA. Can I enroll now and receive the subsidy for the months April through September, without paying premiums due back to August 2020? A: Yes. Under the ARPA, qualified beneficiaries that were involuntarily...
COBRA Subsidy Provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law March 11, 2021, provides a 100% subsidy of premiums for employer-sponsored group health insurance continued under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA) and similar state continuation of...
California’s New COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave
On March 19, 2021, the Governor signed SB 95, bringing back the state’s COVID-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave — with some big changes. SB 95 significantly expands the number of employers required to start providing this leave, provides a fresh bank of up to 80 hours...
Outbreak Period Expiration Approaching, No New Guidance
Last year, federal agencies issued relief postponing various employee benefit plan deadlines during a defined “Outbreak Period” to help plans, participants and service providers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Outbreak Period began on March 1, 2020, and lasts...
Conducting an Effective Workplace Investigation – Free Webinar
Conducting workplace investigations is one of the most challenging duties that HR professionals must take on. Workforce demographics are shifting, new laws are constantly popping up, managers make mistakes because they aren't properly trained or they're under pressure...
Can I Require My Employees to Obtain a COVID-19 Vaccination?
The answer is Yes, but! On December 16, 2020, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued guidance for employers regarding mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations. REQUIRING COVID-19 VACCINATIONS The EEOC’s position is that employers may require...
Employers With 50 or More Employees Must Report Under Section 6056
It’s that time of the year again when employers with 50 or more employees are required to report to the IRS information about whether they offered health coverage to their employees and if so, information about the coverage offered. This information also must be...
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