Employment Law and Labour Law

The US Department of Labor has proposed a new optional electronic disclosure safe harbor for ERISA-covered group health plans that would permit plan administrators to furnish required health plan disclosures through a notice-and-access framework. This development offers employers a potential pathway to broader electronic delivery of health plan communications, particularly for populations difficult to reach under existing electronic disclosure rules, though it introduces additional complexity by creating se

New Jersey employers now face a critical new administrative requirement: reporting all employee separations to the state Department of Labor within seven days, regardless of whether the departing employee files for unemployment benefits. This mandate represents a significant departure from previous practice and carries substantial penalties for noncompliance, with fines reaching $500 or 25% of withheld unemployment benefits per violation.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is reportedly preparing to cut employer response deadlines in half—from 30 days to just 15 days—while simultaneously restricting extension requests. This procedural shift could fundamentally alter how organizations investigate workplace discrimination charges and prepare their defenses, particularly in complex cases involving multiple employees or extensive documentation.