The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has issued revised version of their Employment Law Guide and the First Step Employment Law Advisor, which are both available online here.
Ordinarily I would shy away from talking about general labor and employment topics, but I think it is very important for plan sponsors who are also employers to be aware of important compliance issues. Because of the significant interaction between employment laws and benefit laws, I find that I routinely have to be cognizant of various general employment issues that impact benefit offerings and administration of benefit plans. The employment law guide does include topics for health benefits and retirement benefits and they do have good information about record keeping standards for benefit plans. There is also a link to the Reporting and Disclosure Requirements for Employee Benefit Plans, a guide published in October of 2008 that lists all required documentation for benefit plans under federal law.
In addition, the Guide includes information about FMLA, wage and hour requirements and various workplace standards and postings that can help employers self-audit their employment practices. There are also links for OSHA requirements and immigration standards, as well as the whistle-blower laws and WARN laws.
The First Step Employment Law Advisor is an interactive tool that allows employers (or potential employers) to create a customized "results" list of federal laws that apply to them. While it does not cover state laws, I found the information provided for federal regulations to be fairly comprehensive and easy to understand. It would be a good resource for any employer looking to verify their employment practices.
In sum, I guess this entry is simply a reminder of the importance of general compliance in all forms of employment practices, not just employee benefits. If you are an employer and a plan sponsor, I think these guides would be worth a look. Of course if the standards presented raise any questions or concerns about your benefit or employment practices, you can reach out to your attorney at Fox Rothschild for more detailed assistance.
