On Saturday 31 October, the UK Government announced a new national lockdown and confirmed the extension of the existing Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, more commonly referred to as the “furlough” scheme. In this alert, we set out what the UK Government has announced and what this means in terms of the support available to employers, … Continue Reading
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1867, to create COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave (CPSL) requirements for employers with 500 or more employees, filling a gap left by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) which applies only to employers with under 500 employees. The new law also codifies existing supplemental … Continue Reading
The Society of Actuaries recently published an essay by our own Jack Lund. The essay discusses some of the subtle effects a widespread but short-lived unemployment event might have on the American retirement system.… Continue Reading
On May 12, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) published Notices 2020-29 and 2020-33. Notice 2020-29 is the latest installment in COVID-19 relief guidance targeted at health and welfare benefits. The Notice enables employers to provide flexibility to employees to modify their health coverage and flexible spending account (“FSA”) elections and gives employees until the … Continue Reading
On March 27, 2020, President Trump signed the largest economic stimulus bill in U.S. history: the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). In this blog article, we take a closer look at the provisions affecting health and welfare plans.… Continue Reading
In response to the growing unemployment numbers due to business slowdowns across the country, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides expanded unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to workers impacted by COVID-19. The move is no doubt well intentioned, but serious questions have been raised about the specific benefit design adopted by Congress … Continue Reading
