Image: SHRM
Stephen Miller writes for the Society of Human Resources Management, “On July 1, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) published an interim final rule with a list of increased penalty amounts for violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), and other employee benefit and pay statutes.
Read the full article from SHRM.
Such a comprehensive list of penalty adjustments "is a harbinger that the agencies are going to have a renewed focus on enforcement," said Kim Buckey, vice president of compliance communications at Birmingham, Ala.-based DirectPath, an employee engagement and health care compliance firm. "Employers should take this as a signal to investigate their processes and notices to make sure they're in compliance."
Buckey recommends that employers conduct self-audits, using the new list of penalties as a checklist to be sure their organization is meeting all requirements. Buckey also says that an annual legal notices brochure is a great way to make sure all employees receive required notices on an annual basis.
Wondering if you are in or out of compliance with your employee healthcare benefits? Give us a call to find out how we can help your organization secure an ACA-compliant plan that provides better benefits for less cost to your company and your employees.
