Brief: New Hire Reporting Requirements
Question of the Week: Does a Spouse’s Open Enrollment Enable an Employee to Change Their Benefit Elections Midyear?
Question: Does a spouse’s open enrollment enable an employee to change their benefit elections midyear? Answer: Yes, if your cafeteria plan document allows it. A spouse’s open enrollment period could allow an employee to make a corresponding midyear election change under IRS § 125. For example, an employee’s spouse could decline or drop coverage under […]
Question of the Week: What Purpose Does a Mentorship Program Serve?
Question: What purpose does a mentorship program serve? Answer: Mentoring is a professional relationship between a senior or more experienced employee (the mentor) and a newer or less experienced one (the mentee). The mentor shares their knowledge and experience, offering guidance, advice, feedback, and encouragement. The mentee can go to their mentor with personal and […]
Question of the Week: What kinds of interview questions should we ask to assess a candidate’s competency for the position?
We recommend asking a combination of behavioral, situational, and job-specific questions. Behavioral questions ask the candidate to explain how they approached challenges in the past, what the outcome of their approach was, and what, if anything, they learned or would do differently now. These questions are useful for validating a candidate’s skill set as well as […]
Updated 2027 limits for HSAs and HDHPs, as well as the EEOC’s new National Enforcement Plan.
Midyear Qualifying Events Cheat Sheet
We are sharing a Midyear Qualifying Events Cheat Sheet. The cheat sheet outlines the circumstances under which employees may update their benefit elections outside of open enrollment and includes an overview of mandatory HIPAA special enrollment rights and optional Section 125 midyear election changes. Kindly, Celia Nash-Underwood
Employer Contribution Allocation: An Emerging Benefit Strategy
An IRS private letter ruling offers employers a roadmap for giving employees more flexibility over how discretionary company contributions are allocated. While not binding on other taxpayers, it provides valuable insight into how the IRS may view similar employer programs.
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program Begins July 1, 2026
Beginning July 1, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program. The purpose of this program is to help eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries access certain GLP-1 weight-loss medications at a reduced cost while CMS evaluates future obesity treatment initiatives. Eligibility will be determined by CMS and […]
Question of the Week: Pay When Closing for Severe Weather?
QUESTION Do we have to pay nonexempt employees when we close due to severe weather? ANSWER When you close due to inclement weather, nonexempt employees (those who are entitled to overtime) need to be paid only for actual hours worked plus any reporting time pay that might be required by state law … Read more […]
Medicare Part D changes that will affect employer plans in 2026 and 2027
Our HR Brief Newsletter – June 2026 explains important Medicare Part D changes that will affect employer plans in 2026 and 2027 and also includes practical tips to help your team avoid AI scams. Please click the link in this email to open the HR Brief Newsletter – June 2026 and review the details. If […]