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Those individuals who receive employee health insurance through a group benefits plan have certain rights and protections. A 1974 federal law called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) affords insured individuals these protections.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is federal legislation that allows government officials to maintain oversight over different employee-administered welfare plans and benefits. ERISA only covers two types of retirement plans: defined contribution and benefit ones.

Pension plans in the District of Columbia and around the country have to be funded in order to fulfill their purpose. However, the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, failed to do so, according to a lawsuit filed by more than 100 former employees of Saint James Hospital. As a result of the Archdiocese’s action, the plan ran out of funds in 2017, and no benefits have been paid out since.

When your employer decides that it’s time to cut ties with you, whether through termination or forced retirement, you may be in a position to negotiate a severance package. But you don’t want to be taken by surprise.

Federal wage and hour regulations play a major role in how workers are compensated and impact their standard of living. Over the last 100 days, the U.S. Department of Labor pulled back wage and hour guidance and rulemaking that was made under the Fair Labor Standards Act over the last four years. These decisions may improve workers’ ability to engage in employment rights litigation and receive fairer wages.

When an employer is out of line and in violation of the law, it’s possible that their employees could suffer as a result. If you work as a government employee, understand that there are benefits that you may be entitled to, and your employer should not be trying to keep them from you.

In Washington DC, people who have health benefits are accorded certain protections through ERISA (the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974). With these protections, people who have health care coverage through a private sector plan can get their plan information and make sure that the plan managers adhere to certain standards.

Not surprisingly, many people who live in and around Washington, D.C., work for one of the many federal government agencies and offices headquartered in the area. Moreover, there are many more people who live in the area who work for the Maryland or Virginia governments or the governments of one of the many municipalities surrounding Washington.

It is important to know that LGBTQ workers have protections against discrimination in the workplace. LGBTQ workers should be familiar with these protections and how they can help ensure the protections in place are followed and that they are protected in their workplaces.

On April 12, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed into law new prohibitions restricting the use of covenants not to compete (“non-competes”) for low-wage workers. A non-compete is used by employers to restrict when and where former employees or independent contractors can perform work after ending their relationship with the employer.