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“Oops, [it] did it again.” Analogous to Ms. Spears’s lyric, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) once again causes a reset across multiple industries with its third iteration of an electronic data reporting rule. Beginning January 1, 2024 , for employers in specific high-hazard...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to what constitutes a fiduciary function, a finding of disability despite working full-time, an enforcement of suit limitation clause, the circumstances under which reinstatement is an appropriate remedy, and ERISA preemption. The Saul Ewing LLP...

This week we move away from the world of the standard retirement or health and welfare plans and into the world of executive compensation. Executive compensation arrangements provide a company with a highly flexible benefit to further attract and retain top talent. Issues in design and...

In the past two weeks, we have presented a few items that plan sponsors can review in hopes of curbing common employee benefits and executive compensation errors. This week in our Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) series, we touch on a small sample of common health and...

Contractors could start seeing six-figure fines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the next few months thanks to sweeping policy changes implemented earlier this year. In a press release and two internal memoranda issued January 26, 2023, the Department of Labor (DOL)...

For better or for worse, the 401(k) plan has moved to center stage in the context of American retirement policy. Fittingly, Part 2 of this Employee Retirement Income Securities Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) driven series focuses on a handful of common misses that occur with 401(k) plans. Not Knowing the...

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) has a reputation for being intimidating and understandably so. Although plan sponsors must practically consider business needs and evaluate benefits alongside general labor and employment considerations, ERISA’s fiduciary standards may...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to a plaintiff’s attempts to seal a complaint seeking disability benefits, an administrator’s uncommunicated decision to discontinue its investigation into certain medical conditions, an administrator’s loss of the deferential standard of review for...

On May 1, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor announced that the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) has begun a National Emphasis Program (“NEP”) to prevent workplace falls, effective immediately. The NEP focuses on reducing fall-related injuries and fatalities for people...

This month’s Friday Five explores two recent decisions that discuss limitations on benefits when both physical disability and disability arising from mental illness are alleged, whether remand of a claim by the court constitutes a new appeal or a continuation of the previous appeal, whether an order...

What Do We Do Now?! How To Handle an OSHA Inspection An inspection from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) can affect a construction site in many ways—from workflow disruptions to compliance issues. In this seminar, Michael Metz-Topodas reviews the regulatory requirements...

In It for the Long Haul: Covid, Long Covid, and Covid-Adjacent Claims Issues Caitlin Strauss will be speaking on a panel during the 2023 DRI Life, Health, Disability, and ERISA Seminar in New Orleans, Louisiana. Joining Caitlin on the panel is Lisa E. Montelongo-Connor, Unum and Joni Sobocinski, New...

"A Change Is Gonna Come" What OSHA's Policy Revisions May Mean for the Construction Industry Michael Metz-Topodas, a Partner in the firm's Construction Practice, will be speaking on a panel during the American Subcontractors Association of Central Pennsylvania Half-Day Construction Symposium...

This month’s Friday Five explores recent decisions that reflect the precise nature of rules and definitions in the context of ERISA claims. For example, effective dates of CFR code provisions and contractually defined limitation periods can draw specific points on the timeline of a case. Similarly...

This month's Friday Five covers cases relating to issue preclusion, coverage where the policy terms are inconsistent with the parties’ behavior, application of the abuse of discretion standard of review, applicability of a waiver of premium provision and compliance with a mandatory appeals process...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to potential impacts of COVID-19, full and fair review of the claim file, an attempt to use an insurer’s internal policy against itself, and a “second bite at the apple” by amending a complaint for denial of benefits to include a claim for breach of...

Last year, safety compliance in the cannabis industry took on a new dimension when the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited production company Life Essence Inc, d/b/a Trulieve (Trulieve) for an employee’s fatal asthma attack following workplace exposure to ground...

This month’s Friday Five covers cases relating to discovery in ERISA benefits cases, an appellate court strictly interpreting ERISA regulatory deadlines, a district court authorizing an ERISA breach of fiduciary duty claim based on alleged misrepresentations from an employer, another district court...

This month’s Friday Five explores recent decisions that illustrate the importance of the administrative record built by a claims administrator, and the impact that the depth and thoroughness of the record will have on litigation over claims decisions. Whether reviewing claims under the de novo...