The benefits compliance process is well documented and is a much needed part of a US based business.
Before starting a business, you must know the government’s rules first. A company’s laws depend on a few things like its size, number of employees and property type.
Labor laws exist to ensure people’s satisfaction with their professional lives. An employer must always know how to form good relationships with their employees. To do so, they must understand the needs of their people, and cater to those specific needs.
In a work setting, employees often look for ways to improve their lives. One way they do this is by taking advantage of certain benefits. Benefit plans in business exist for this very purpose. A good employer must know the importance of following benefits compliance.
In general, employees usually avail of health plans, welfare plans, retirement arrangements, profit sharing plans, life insurance, disability insurance and medical coverage. Most of these benefit plans are under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, as of 1974. ERISA’s main aim is to protect the employees’ rights to a good well-being.
Compliance of benefit plans follows a certain process. First, most companies must do the Form 5500 preparation. The Form 5500 is the annual report of employee information. It contains and collects the major details about a person’s benefit plans. Companies with 100 or more employees who have benefit plans must file the Form 5500 every year. Participants don’t cover dependents. They only include employees, retirees and primary COBRA beneficiaries. For companies with fewer than 100 participants, a different form is otherwise used.
Attached to the Form 5500 are schedules. The schedule attached depends on certain categories, like the type of filer. Usually considered when filling out the Form 5500 are financial transactions, retirement pension, insurance contracts, defined benefit plan information, and service providers. All requested information must be filled out as indicated in the Form 5500.
As of 2010, all variations of Form 5500, along with the schedules, must be submitted online. In this case, one uses the EFAST2 system. DOL allows the use of EFAST2-approved third-party software. Another alternative is its online filing system IFILE . The due date of filing the form is within seven months following the end of the plan year. Another option, though, is submitting a Form 5558 to extend the due date by two and a half months. The Form 5500 series is bound to all guidelines set by the DOL, IRS and PBGC. One receives penalties when they fail to submit the requirements on time. The Form 5500 is used to measure economic and psychological trends in industry. The form acts a disclosure tool and protects the rights of the participating people.
An employer is always encouraged to provide welfare benefit plans to their employees. For organization purposes, ERISA also mandates the use of wrap plan document. This document records the terms and conditions of each benefit plan. Its design makes it so that it includes all information required by ERISA. A well-drafted plan document consists of eligibility requirements, plan procedures, and coverage length. In short, it must provide an accurate summary of the plan’s information. It should encouraghttps://www.bc2co.com/faq-items/what-is-a-wrap-plan-document/e strict compliance to ERISA’s requirements. Its purpose also is to help the company easily keep track of many documents all at once. This assists in wide-scope auditing and decision-making.
Meeting the requirements for benefits compliance is a necessity in every company. It’s a task that requires an ability to keep up with new updates and changes in the industry. Hence, businesses usually hire experts to handle the processing of benefit plans. Additionally, there must be a smooth delivery of information between the people involved. In this case, it’s between the regulators and the clients. It’s important that everyone is aware of the different principles they should follow. On the other hand, a good management team must be capable of abiding by the rules. They must watch over the entire process of benefits compliance. This is so they can identify any possible issues as soon as they rise up. Making informed decisions is a must in business.
Benefits Compliance Consultants Inc.
Phone: (515) 244-2424
Our company specializes in benefits compliance services for delinquent filer voluntary compliance program, Form 5500, wrap plan document, 401k preparation filings and much more.
