Are you prepared for I-9 and immigration enforcement? Federal immigration authorities may be gradually boosting their enforcement activities, but the slow pace has not changed employers’ need for caution.  Prior to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, incoming officials promised large-scale worksite enforcement. So far, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has targeted small entities for raids, with recent examples including a Louisiana construction site and a Philadelphia market. But HR departments also may need to prepare for an increase in Form I-9 audits. Part of ICE’s strategy could involve quotas: Chris Thomas, partner at Holland & Hart, said he spoke with one ICE agent “in a small location in Vermont” who was tasked with serving notices of Form I-9 inspection to at least five employers per week. Thomas added that he expects ICE to expand its capacity to conduct audits by repurposing existing agency support staff and hiring outside contractors. Thomas added that he expects ICE to expand its capacity to conduct audits by repurposing existing agency support staff and hiring outside contractors.  Source: HR Dive 4/7/25

Price transparency required from healthcare providers: On February 25, 2025, President Trump signed "Making America Healthy Again with Clear, Accurate, and Actionable Healthcare Pricing Information," an Executive Order with the stated purpose of making group health plans and health insurance issuers accountable for compliance with price transparency rules implemented during the first Trump administration. Specifically, during his first administration, President Trump signed Executive Order 13877 - "Improving Price and Quality Transparency in American Healthcare to Put Patients First," seeking to address what the new Executive Order describes as "opaque healthcare pricing arrangements" and insufficient accountability concerning healthcare pricing practices. Under Executive Order 13877, regulations were created requiring group health plans to:  post their negotiated rates with providers; post out-of-network payments to providers; post the actual prices the plan or its pharmacy benefits manager pays for prescription drugs; and maintain a "customer-facing" internet tool through which individuals can access price information.  Will it reduce healthcare costs, theoretically yes, but the jury is still out.  Source: Jackson Lewis 3/17/25

Employees are confused by healthcare pricing and plan deductibles:  While most health plan enrollees understand premium and deductible options, confusion persists around several aspects of health plan design, such as prescription drug copayments and maximum out-of-pocket limits, according to recent research from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Greenwald Research. Conducted from Oct. 24 through Nov. 25, 2024, the 2024 Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey (CEHCS) found that 86% of enrollees understood that premiums are the amount paid for health insurance, regardless of using care, and 82% understood that the deductible is the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket before your plan begins to pay for care. However, confusion was found among most surveyed regarding prescription copayments. Only about one in four enrollees knew that the amount is not the same for all groups of prescriptions. There also was confusion about out-of-pocket maximums. When it comes to knowledge about health savings accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs), enrollees were more likely to understand HSAs, though overall knowledge remained low (32% correctly answered at least three out of four statements vs. 22% of traditional plan enrollees).  Source: CCH 4/9/25

EBSA releases update to model annual funding notices reflecting SECURE 2.0 Changes: SECURE 2.0 introduced many changes for retirement plans, including updated disclosure requirements for a defined benefit plan’s annual funding notice (AFN). These updated AFN disclosure requirements apply for all plan years beginning after December 31, 2023. For calendar-year defined benefit plans, the first AFNs subject to the revised requirements will be due by April 30, 2025. On April 3, 2025, the Department of Labor released Field Assistance Bulletin 2025-02 to address compliance questions regarding the required changes to AFNs under SECURE 2.0 and includes two updated model AFNs incorporating these changes. FAB 2025-02 informs plan administrators that they can no longer rely on the prior model notices, and instructs plans that have already prepared or begun preparing 2024 AFNs to “consider the guidance in this Bulletin in evaluating whether the disclosures were consistent with a reasonable, good faith interpretation of section 101(f), as amended, and to take appropriate corrective action” if the plan administrator determines that standard was not met. Plan sponsors should carefully review the required changes under SECURE 2.0 when preparing AFNs for defined benefit plans with plan years beginning after December 31, 2023.  Source: Proskauer 4/4/25, 2/28/25

Should hoodies be worn in the office? Clothes are psychological armor, and the hoodie is an invitation to dissolve into sentient fleece. It’s the sartorial equivalent of a Do Not Disturb sign. Studies support this: A 2023 paper published in the Academy of Management Journal found that employees who dressed better than usual experienced higher self-esteem and productivity. Another survey from 1999 reported that casual workwear policies were linked to increased tardiness and absenteeism. The hoodie encourages you to clock out. What we wear affects how we behave, think, and perform—a concept psychologists call “enclothed cognition.” Clothes carry meaning, and we absorb that meaning when we put them on. A notable experiment from Northwestern University found that people who wore lab coats, an item associated with intelligence, demonstrated better focus and task performance. Clothing sends a message. In a professional setting, a hoodie tells your boss, coworkers, or clients that you’d rather be anywhere else. That's perfect for a lazy Sunday—it's not so great for climbing the corporate ladder.  Have you looked at your dress code lately?  Source: Gear 4/3/25