On August 1, 2022, the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights (DCR) adopted new and amended regulations around the “Display of Official Posters of the Division on Civil Rights.” New Jersey employers, housing providers and places of public accommodation are required to display posters to inform individuals and covered entities of their rights and obligations under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and New Jersey Family Leave Act (NJFLA). The DCR has now released the revised posters that will need to be utilized to satisfy the requirements under the LAD. Additionally, employers with 30 or more employees who are covered by the NJFLA, will also need to replace their current NJFLA poster with the revised version. The revised posters must be prominently displayed in places easily visible to those who would be impacted by violations under the laws. Covered employers will also need to distribute the posters annually to…

Innovative is thrilled to announce the first August event of the month: With Inflation on the Rise, How Can You Ensure Your Employer Health Benefit Costs are Under Control? Health insurance is a billion-dollar business with many inefficiencies and hidden revenue streams within it. In many ways, your employer sponsored health plan is funding it, which is impacting your costs. What we find is most employers have no idea how much waste and hidden revenue there is, causing you high costs and a broken plan.During this seminar, you will learn the components causing the waste and how to uncover it within your plan. We will review several strategies and solutions available to middle market employers that you can begin to deploy to disrupt the system and begin to put money back in your pocket and your employees’ pockets.Learning objectives include:Understand what is happening in the health insurance system and whyUncover…

Innovative is excited to host our Breakfast-N-Learn, Mental Health: What a Stigma Free Workplace Looks Like. Mental health is top of mind everywhere these days as about 20% of adult Americans report symptoms of mental illness according to the Centers for Disease Control. Workplace mental health concerns such as anxiety, stress, burnout, and depression had already been growing, and then the COVID-19 pandemic and remote work situations just intensified these matters. It’s no secret that work-related factors, especially during the pandemic, are impacting employee’s mental health. It’s no longer a bonus to discuss mental health in the workplace, employers have a responsibility to support employees. During this presentation, we will dive into:Learning objectives include:Benefits of addressing mental health in the workplace Understanding the physical health connection and potential health risks How to build a culture of mental health and break the stigma in the workplaceCreating management and leadership trainingWorkplace Wellness initiatives to encourage…

Innovative is proud to launch our new exclusive client lunch-n-learn, Noontime Knowledge for 2022. This biannual event will take place at our Moorestown office’s Learning Exchange each June and October. During this one-hour lunch, clients can come together to learn and lean on each other. Learn the latest trends and products to optimize your health plan offerings, as well as review current and upcoming compliance changes and obligations.  Lean on our community of like-minded professionals to share best practices. Learning Outcomes Include: Compliance updates and upcoming deadlines Tips to optimize your benefit offering Trends in HR, Employee Benefits, and Retirement Plans Workplace wellness tips based on the relevant season and observances Community Roundtable: Do you have a burning topic or issue you have been dealing with? Let’s lean on our community of like-minded professionals! At the end of each lunch, we will conduct a roundtable discussion to collaborate and share…

The Department of Labor recently issued its first cybersecurity guidelines for plan sponsors, plan fiduciaries, record keepers, plan participants, and beneficiaries. According to the DOL, trillions of dollars in assets in more than 140 million retirement plans across the country could be vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. The department says that the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) requires plan fiduciaries to take appropriate precautions to minimize the risk of cyberattacks. These guidelines outline the department’s minimum expectations on cybersecurity for ERISA-covered plans.Which Organizations Are Affected?Companies and organizations of any size that provide ERISA-covered plans with retirement or health & welfare benefits are expected to follow the guidelines. Plan sponsors and fiduciaries must strive to protect plan asset data and participants’ personally identifiable information (PII). Not all security threats can be prevented and eliminated, but the DOL does expect companies to take reasonable steps to mitigate those risks.Why Are…

Employer Vaccination Strategies & Requirements Innovative Benefit Planning is happy to provide you with critical updates on President Biden’s recently announced new vaccination requirements, employer vaccination strategies, and best practices for handling the mandate and benefit surcharge issues. We invite you to join us on October 21st at 10:00am EDT where our partner and expert Rhonda Hollier of HR Service will join us live to provide an informative legal update, discuss how this impacts employers, as well as answer the frequently asked questions we get from employers. Discussion includes: • New Biden Vaccination Requirements • COVID Vaccinations – making them mandatory or not? • EEOC Guidance on Vaccine Incentive • FAQ about Biden's Vaccination Requirements • Live Q&A When: October 21, 2021 at 10:00am Duration: 60 Minutes (includes live Q&A) Register Now

July 2021 Compliance Recap July 2021 was a quiet month in the benefits industry, largely due to the summer vacation season and the July 4th Independence Day holiday. Importantly, however, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury, along with the Office of Personnel Management (collectively, the “Departments”), issued an interim final rule (IFR) to explain provisions of the No Surprises Act (the Act) that passed as part of sweeping COVID-19 relief legislation signed in December 2020. Additionally, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2021-46 (Notice) to clarify lingering questions employer plan sponsors and other interested parties have been asking since the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) became law in March 2020. No Surprises Act Interim Final Rule Under the Act, group health plans, or health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage, that provide or cover any benefits for services in…

The case for financial wellness from an employee and employer perspective Many employers incorporate a health wellness program into their organization, but financial wellness is just as important. Studies show that 47% of all employees are stressed about finances and 54% of those employees say they will likely use their retirement funds for expenses other than retirement.1 Employees who are stressed about money or debt often bring that stress into the workplace, causing lower productivity, higher absentee rates and neglect or postponing of personal healthcare. In addition, employees that cannot retire may have a negative impact on employer profitability (higher healthcare/workman’s compensation costs) and impede the development of the next generation of leaders. 5 Steps for Creating a Financial Wellness Program Discovery Understand your organizational goals and objectives. Review current demographic and participation information of existing benefit programs. Survey employees to determine their financial literacy level and pain points. Analyze…

What To Do When Your Retirement Vendor Is Sold January 28th, 2020 The retirement plan industry is undergoing a wave of consolidation, with many 401(k) vendors merging with competitors or being acquired. Their pending merger may be in the best interest of the companies combining, but you must determine if it is also in your best interest. As a plan sponsor, when your record keeper changes, you have a fiduciary obligation to research what is happening and how it affects both your organization and your participants. While this may be a good move for your plan, accepting an automatic conversion remains a fiduciary decision. Plan sponsors should initiate a process to determine whether the change is best for plan participants and beneficiaries, or if an alternative solution would be better. A plan sponsor also needs to document that decision. Your documentation should include a thorough review of the cost and…