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Matt Grosh recently talked about Cam and Mitchell from Modern Family as a backdrop to the IRS’s recent revenue ruling. That ruling recognized same-sex marriages for federal tax purposes even when a couple resides in a state that does not permit same-sex marriages.  The couple must only have been validly married in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage.

After last summer’s Supreme Court decision analyzing the Defense of Marriage Act, numerous questions arose regarding legal treatment of same sex couples.  Employers were confused about their obligations regarding benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans.  After consultation with the Department of Justice and the Department of Treasury (Internal Revenue Service), the United States Department of Labor (DOL) issued Guidance to Employee Benefits Plans on the definition of spouse and marriage.

The DOL advised that employers are to recognize "spouses" and "marriages" based on the validity of the marriage in the state where the couple was married rather than the state where they reside.  The DOL concluded that such an interpretation would make it easier for employers to uniformly administer benefits to all employees, in addition to offering more protection to same-sex couples.  In effect, the Department of Labor Regulations, Rulings, Opinions and Exemptions will assume that the term "spouse" refers to any individual who is legally married under any state law. Consistent with the IRS ruling, the terms "spouse" and "marriage" will not include individuals in domestic partnerships or civil unions.  …

Continue Reading From ‘Philadelphia’ to ‘Modern Family’

Severance Pay and UC Benefits in Pennsylvania

In PA Unemployment Compensation Law Update, Part 1, we covered changes in Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) Law in regard to active job search requirements for claimants. In Part 2, we will discuss how the amended law impacts UC benefits when former employees also receive severance pay.

As an employer, it is sometimes difficult to terminate an employee’s job. It is also difficult for employees who are "let go." In some cases, employees are offered severance packages by their employer. Severance is money or benefits paid to employees when employment ends, also called separation or termination pay. It is not required by law but may be paid in accordance with an employment contract, collective bargaining agreement or an employer’s policy.

Severance pay can work as a financial buffer, helping former employees pay their bills as they make difficult transitions. Unemployment compensation benefits serve a similar purpose. Employees who receive both often wonder whether their severance pay can count against their UC benefits. Some have been surprised to find out that in Pennsylvania, an unemployed employee could receive full UC benefits even while the employer had paid or was making severance payments.

At least, that was the case until this year. The law has been amended by Act 6 of 2011 to provide that, in UC benefit years beginning January 1, 2012, employees will be paid their weekly benefit rate less the amount of severance pay that is attributed to that week. In other words, severance pay can offset UC benefits, but only when an employee’s total severance pay exceeds and amount equal to 40% of the state average annual wage. Currently, 40% of Pennsylvania’s average annual wage is $17,853. If terminated employees receive any amount up to $17,853 in severance, there will be no deduction or effect on their UC rate.…

Continue Reading Changes to PA Unemployment Compensation, Part 2:

After the holiday season, there is typically a national spike in unemployment claims. This year is no exception. For employers and employees in Pennsylvania, 2012 also brings changes to the state’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) laws. In a series of posts, we will discuss aspects of the amended UC laws that will impact both claimants and employers.

Is Your Job Search Meeting the UC Requirements?

Until 2012, Pennsylvania’s Unemployment Compensation (UC) laws required claimants to "register" for work, then continue to "report" to an unemployment office to be eligible for benefits. As of January 1, 2012, only claimants who are "making an active search for suitable employment" will be eligible for UC benefits within the meaning of Section 401 of Act 6 of 2011, "Qualifications Required to Secure Compensation."

What does it mean to make an "active search," and what qualifies as "suitable employment"? At a minimum, the new requirements are:

  1. Registering for employment search services through Pennsylvania CareerLink within 30 days of the initial application for benefits.
  2. Posting a resume on CareerLink’s database.
  3. Applying for positions that offer employment and wages similar to those that the claimant had prior to unemployment and which are within a 45-minute commuting distance.

The statute provides that an active search for suitable employment has been made "if the claimant’s efforts include actions comparable to those traditional actions in their trade or occupation by which jobs have been found by others in the community and labor market in which the claimant is seeking employment."…

Continue Reading Changes to PA Unemployment Compensation Law, Part 1

Last year, we wrote about how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) included a COBRA subsidy that reduced the amount certain laid-off workers pay for health benefits by 65%. Without the subsidy, those workers would have been responsible for the entire cost of continuing to receive health benefits from their former employers. 

Because enrollment for…

The 65% COBRA Federal Premium Assistance has been extended once again. The last extension covered involuntary terminations through March 31, 2010. On April 15 the President signed H.R. 4851 extending several government programs including unemployment benefits. The COBRA subsidy will now cover qualified individuals who are involuntarily terminated on or before May 31, 2010.

The U.S. Department…

The COBRA subsidy, originally outlined in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and subsequently extended, covered involuntary terminations through February 28, 2010. Without another extension, employees involuntarily terminated beginning March 1 would not have been eligible to receive this COBRA premium assistance. 

Congress had been attempting to push back the extension one more month, but…

We have had a number of inquiries and comments on our blog post regarding Act 4, the amendment to Pennsylvania’s insurance company law relating to health insurance coverage for adult children up through and including age 29. Prior to Act 4, if an employer offered dependent coverage, insurance companies were only required to provide coverage…

The United States Department of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration released two new resource links on the COBRA Continuation coverage.

According to the United States Department of Labor (DOL) the FAQ and other information will be updated sometime this week. If you are interested in…

Legislation enacted by Congress and signed by President Obama on December 21, 2009, extends the ARRA COBRA premium reduction eligibility for two months, from December 31, 2009 to February 28, 2010, and increases the maximum period for receiving the subsidy to a total of 15 months instead of 9 months. 

With the new changes, the law provides that the 65% premium subsidy for COBRA continuation health benefits is available to individuals who are eligible for COBRA as a result of an involuntary termination between September 1, 2008 and February 28, 2010. The law previously required that both the involuntary termination and the eligibility for COBRA coverage occur before the last effective date of the subsidy, but now only the involuntary termination need take place on or before February 28, 2010, not the COBRA eligibility.

Last month, when we posted on the duration of the COBRA ARRA subsidy, we noted that legislation was introduced to extend the deadline for eligibility as well as the duration of the subsidy. The change enacted this month was not a result of passage of the October legislation but rather changes added to the Department of Defense 2010 Appropriations Act.…

Continue Reading COBRA Subsidy Extended

We have posted on the 65% COBRA subsidy several times since the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was enacted.  ARRA provided for a premium subsidy for COBRA continuation health benefits to "assistance eligible individuals."  Those individuals are defined as an employee or member of his/her family who is eligible for COBRA continuation coverage:

1)      at any time between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009

2)      elects COBRA coverage, and

3)      is eligible for COBRA as a result of an involuntary termination between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009. 

Some changes may be effected if the Extended COBRA Continuation Protection Act of 2009, H.R. 3930, introduced in the House of Representatives on October 26, 2009 and referred to Committees on Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, and Ways and Means, is enacted.   …

Continue Reading Update on the COBRA Subsidy and When it Will End