Fertility benefits on the rise for employers: Fertility benefits are on the rise for mid and large employers. This benefit is seen as one of the important retention/attraction tools for employers. Based on a Mercer survey, 58% of employers with 500 or more and 73% with 20,000 or more employees are covering these benefits. One of the biggest barriers to employers’ adding coverage has been concern about the price tag – both the cost of the treatment itself and the perception that IVF coverage leads to high-cost claims. But these concerns are increasingly being shown to be unfounded. In Mercer’s new Survey on Fertility Benefits, the vast majority of respondents (97%) say that providing infertility coverage has not resulted in a significant increase in medical plan costs. In addition, these benefits support DE&I initiatives. The Mercer survey showed two-fifths of respondents (40%) offer coverage to “support diversity, inclusion and equity (DEI) efforts.” Of note, respondents that have added coverage within the last two years are far more likely to have done so in support of DEI: 61% of respondents cited it as a primary objective, compared with 24% of respondents that have offered coverage for more than five years. Source: Mercer 5/6/21
HSA 2022 annual limitation announced by IRS: For calendar year 2022, the annual limitation on deductions under § 223(b)(2)(A) for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan is $3,650. For calendar year 2022, the annual limitation on deductions under § 223(b)(2)(B) for an individual with family coverage under a high deductible health plan is $7,300. High deductible health plan. For calendar year 2022, a “high deductible health plan” is defined under § 223(c)(2)(A) as a health plan with an annual deductible that is not less than $1,400 for self-only coverage or $2,800 for family coverage, and the annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments, and other amounts, but not premiums) do not exceed $7,050 for self-only coverage or $14,100 for family coverage. Source: IRS
Spouse cannot sue if employee contracts COVID-19 at work and spouse gets sick too: A California federal judge dismissed an amended suit brought by a spouse looking to hold her husband's employer responsible for her COVID-19 infection, finding that the state's workers' compensation law bars her argument and further noting that the employer's duty to provide a safe work environment does not extend to non-employees. "Such claims are subject to dismissal for the reason that defendant's duty to provide a safe workplace to its employees does not extend to nonemployees who . . . contract a viral infection away from those premises," the judge wrote in her order. Source: Law360 5/11/21
EEOC being asked to look at caste based discrimination as part of Title VII discrimination: The EEOC is facing a demand to recognize the intertwined nature of caste and race, and thus to include a prohibition against "caste-based discrimination," as already covered under Title VII in relevant EEOC nondiscriminatory guidelines and other EEOC materials. The International Commission for Dalit Rights (ICDR), together with the National Coalition against Caste Discrimination and civil rights groups, have submitted a memo to the EEOC urging the federal antidiscrimination agency to clearly connect the dots between caste and race discrimination. The ICDR said that caste-based discrimination, harassment, and injustice exists and flourishes in the United States. In 2018, the U.S. Census Bureau found that there were more than 5.6 million South Asians in the U.S. Caste-based discrimination and all forms of harassment occur within the same "national origin or race and descent groups." Although South Asians are considered a single group, they are very diverse. But within the community, ICDR states that there needs to be protection against discrimination based on caste distinctions brought over from South Asia. Source: CCH 5/13/21
Although trained, do your managers understand FMLA requirements? Less than half (46%) of managers can name the benefits that the FMLA provides and even fewer (42%) know how long employees can be absent on FMLA leave, according to a test given to 435 managers by ClaimVantage. Nearly three-quarters of these managers said they’d had FMLA training. When one of your employees requests time off because of a health condition or to care for a family member’s health problem, managers need to know whether that leave may qualify under FMLA. Employees don’t specifically need to say they “need FMLA leave.” It’s the duty of the organization (and the manager) to identify leave requests that may qualify as job-protected FMLA leave. If your managers need a refresher course, ASE’s next FMLA course is August 17th. Learn more here. Source: Business Management 5/13/21
It’s good to be a grad: Despite the ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, college students are optimistic about their future employment opportunities. About 17% of students expect to earn more than $85,000 per year from their first job after graduation, according to a recent survey by AIG Retirement Services and EVERFI of over 20,000 college students nationwide. The $85,000 starting salary was the most common response from students. While an $85,000 salary might seem like a surprisingly high starting point, it’s not that far off from official projections for some majors. The average post-grad salary for those majoring in computer sciences in the Class of 2021 is $72,173, research from the National Association of Colleges and Employers shows. That’s a roughly 7% increase from last year’s estimate of $67,411 for those majors. Prior to the pandemic, the average starting salary was $53,889 for those in the Class of 2019 earning a bachelor’s degree. Half of the students surveyed by AIG and EVERFI say finding a job after college is something they stress about, but that’s a lower percentage than in previous years. And 39% say they don’t expect Covid-19 to have an impact on their job search once they graduate, which is probably especially true for the freshman and sophomore college students surveyed. For Michigan-specific data, ASE Members can access the 2021 Salaries for Co-op Students & Recent College Graduates Survey in their member dashboard. Source: CNBC 5/13/21