Alera Group News

On March 27, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). The CARES Act comes as a continued response to the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that is significantly impacting the United States. The Act is a $2.2 trillion economic package that... Find out more »

The Department of Labor has released several questions and answers, with the most recent released on Saturday, March 28th. Clarification was provided on how FMLA and EFMLA apply to leaves and the 12-month period. A link to the Q&A is provided below, and this topic is addressed starting with... Find out more »

Updated 04/01/20 Which Employers Are Subject To The Act? The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) was signed into law on March 18, 2020. That law includes the new Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSL) and the Emergency Family and Medical Leave Expansion Act (EFMLA). The benefits and... Find out more »

The Department of Labor (DOL) released the notice that employers are required to post in their workplaces in relation to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). A copy of the notice can be downloaded by clicking here. While the notice technically must be posted in a... Find out more »

When an employee takes an unpaid leave of absence, the question arises on how an employer should collect benefit premium payments to continue benefits during that time. The only regulatory guidance on this comes from the original Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations. Following those,... Find out more »

As employers work to stay financially solvent during the COVID-19 pandemic, many are looking to change their health plan designs in order to ensure employees have access to the care they need while balancing the financial impact on the business. The type of change contemplated dictates when notice... Find out more »

Updated 04/01/20 In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many employers are dealing with how to handle Dependent Care Assistance Programs (DCAPs) when employees are no longer working and not in need of childcare, or alternatively, an employee’s childcare program/center/provider has closed... Find out more »

On March 18, Congress passed, and President Trump signed into law, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The FFCRA is a bipartisan effort to help employers and individuals alike in managing pay, benefits, and business considerations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The focus of this... Find out more »

Many employers that sponsor group health plans have portions of their employee population that are not eligible for the group health plan, typically because they are part-time employees. Employers sometimes wish to give these part-time employees something to assist them with their health care needs... Find out more »

As much of the country is locked-down due to coronavirus 19 (COVID-19), employers have concerns regarding their employee benefit programs. This may stem from a reduction in hours and, unfortunately, from terminating, furloughing, or laying-off employees – at least temporarily. The following... Find out more »