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Employee Benefits in Uncertain Times
MAY 9, 2002
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| 8:15 - 8:45 a.m. |
Check-In and Continental Breakfast |
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| 8:45 - 9:00 a.m. |
Welcome |
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James W. Brown III, NYEBC President
Peter K. Bradley, Co-chairman, Buffalo Conference Planning Committee |
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| 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. |
Legal Update |
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David A. Pratt,Albany Law School
Mr. Pratt will present an informative overview of recent legislation, regulations, administrative rulings and guidance, case law, and other legal developments affecting pension and welfare benefits. |
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| 9:45 - 10:30 a.m. |
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COMPLIANCE & ENFORCEMENT |
Mary W. Rosen, US Dept. of Labor, Pension & Welfare Benefits Admin.
Ms. Rosen will provide an overview of PWBA's ERISA enforcement activities as carried out by her office. Areas of particular concern, the potential penalties, and available voluntary correction programs administered by DOL will be covered in her discussion. |
| 10:30 - 10:45 a.m. |
BREAK |
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| 10:45 - 11:30 a.m. |
WORKPLACE SECURITY |
Vito Czyz, Motorola Inc.
Mr. Czyz will discuss workplace security addressing such issues as systems, employee education and awareness, protection of property and proprietary information, and changes resulting from the recent terrorist attacks. |
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| 11:40 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. |
MORNING BREAK OUT SESSION |
Choose one of the following two presentations:
- HIPAA COMPLIANCE
TBD, Aon Corporation
The presenter will address HIPAA compliance issues for employers including privacy standards and discrimination regulations. The how and when compliance is necessary will also be discussed.
- PARTICIPANT INVESTMENT FUND SELECTION
Charles G. Humphrey, M & T Bank, Employee Benefit Services Group
Thomas R. Pierce, M & T Bank, Capital Advisors Group
Mary W. Rosen, US Dept. of Labor, Pension & Welfare Benefits Admin
The panelists will review the responsibilities and liability involved in selecting, monitoring, and changing investments made available to employees in a company sponsored retirement plan which offers participant directed investments. Employee investment education and 404(c) issues will also be discussed.
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| 12:30 - 1:45 p.m. |
LUNCH |
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| 1:45 - 2:45 p.m. |
AFTERNOON WORKSHOP SESSION 1 |
Choose one of the following three presentations:
- BENEFITS COMMUNICATION
Richard W. Kaiser, Hodgson Russ LLP
Sarah J. Mugel, National Fuel Gas Company
Employers are required to deliver of a wide and growing range of legally required notices, summaries, descriptions, elections, prospectuses, etc., in connection with their pension and welfare plans. The benefits laws are constantly changing, and so are the content requirements for all these different forms of communications. Mr. Kaiser and Ms. Mugel will lead a discussion of required participant communications, and what practical measures employers are taking to disseminate that information.
- PROCESSING BENEFIT CLAIMS
Andrew P. Fleming, Chiacchia & Fleming, LLP
Patricia A. Obstarczyk, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber LLP
The presenters will give practical advice on the new ERISA benefit claims and appeal procedures with an eye to helping plan sponsors stay out of the courtroom.
- RETIREMENT COUNSELING PROGRAMS
Anna M. Rappaport, William M. Mercer, Incorporated
In this session, Ms. Rappaport will address risks and issues which need to be considered in retirement, and describe what employees need to consider in preparing for retirement. She will cover issues such as budgeting and other financial matters, phased retirement, working in retirement, medical insurance options, and eldercare.
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| 2:45 - 3:00 p.m. |
BREAK |
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| 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
AFTERNOON WORKSHOP SESSION 2 |
Choose one of the following three presentations:
- WELLNESS INITIATIVES
William Bowler, Employee Services, Inc.
Kathleen E. Garofalo, Welch Allyn, Inc.
Mr. Bowler and Ms. Garofalo will discuss how employers can encourage both the physical and mental well being of employees.
- EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FOR SMALL EMPLOYERS
David H. Kernan, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber LLP
Lynda J. Phinney, Warren-Hoffman & Associates, Inc.
The panelists will discuss pension and welfare benefit programs that may be tailored to the needs of small employers (from 1 to 100 employees), as well as the resources available to employers to lighten the burden of administering benefits programs and the cost of these resources. The panelists believe that no employer is so small that it cannot take advantage of the very real tax benefits designed to encourage employee benefits programs.
- BENEFIT ISSUES FOR MILITARY RESERVISTS
Mark E. Brand, Phillips, Lytle, Hitchcock, Blaine & Huber LLP
Gordon B. Cumming, Rich Products Corporation
The impact of USERRA - the Federal law applicable to employees who perform services in the "uniformed services" -on employee benefits and benefit plans will be covered during this presentation. The focus will be on the employee benefit obligations of employers who employ reservists or other persons who serve military duty.
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