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Employee Benefits: Basics and Beyond
November 7, 2002
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
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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, President, NYEBC
Amelia M. Klein, Co-chairman, Albany 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 - 10:45 a.m. |
Demographics as a Benefits Driver |
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S. Derrin Watson, PIX Partners
The "boom" you hear in the distance is the sound of baby boomers preparing for retirement. Employers must begin to plan now for the effects that waves of boomer retirements will have on everything from retirement and health plan costs to recruitment strategies and succession planning. In this session Mr. Parahus will discuss the importance of planning now for the retirement of the baby boom generation and the reorientation of benefits and compensation programs to fit the next generation of workers. |
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| 10:45 - 11:00 a.m. |
Break |
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| 11:00 - 12:00 a.m. |
The Many Benefits of Providing Benefits |
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Carla Sudbeck, Principal Financial Group
This presentation will focus on companies' "best practices" that earn employee loyalty and attract exceptional talent. Ms. Sudbeck will offer case studies of how benefits can do more than boost morale -- they can also lift the bottom line of any business. |
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| 12:00 a.m. - 1:10 p.m. |
Lunch |
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Afternoon Workshops
Choose one workshop during each session. |
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| 1:10 - 2:00 p.m. |
Workshop Session 1 |
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Basics: Choosing the Best DC Plan for your Organization
Amy Cavanaugh, McKay Hochman & Company, Inc.
Choosing a retirement plan that fits the needs of all your employees can be a difficult thing. Many companies have more than one option. In this basics session, Ms. Cavanaugh will provide insight into the most common plans, 401(k), 403(b), and 457(b), and the latest trends employers are embracing.
Beyond: New Trends in Executive Compensation
Martha N. Steinman, Esq., LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae LLP
How do you attract and keep executives and key players? What are the latest and most dynamic strategies and trends? With stock under scrutiny, new laws and restrictions arising daily, it is crucial to understand the best way to stay on top of this competitive market. Ms. Steinman will discuss just how to do this and retain your ideal workforce.
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| 2:05 - 2:55 p.m. |
Workshop Session 2 |
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Basics: Troubled Retirement Plans
David M. Cohen, Esq., Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP
Retirement plan fiduciaries are feeling the pinch as a result of the emerging company scandals. What should fiduciaries know to keep them out of hot water? How should they handle disgruntled Participants? Who and what are the IRS, DOL, and other government agencies going after? All this and more will be presented by Mr. Cohen in this session.
Beyond: Providing Benefits in a Prevailing Wage Environment
Jerome A. Tracy, Esq., New York State Department of Labor
Employers, particularly those in the construction industry, who provide services on projects funded in whole or in part by New York State or Federal funds must pay the "prevailing wage" of similar workers in the community. This requirement shapes the benefits provided to the workers as well as their hourly rate of pay. Mr. Tracy will discuss the requirement of NYS Labor Law section 220 and the influence it has on the way employers in the construction industry provide benefits to workers in light of recent legal challenges.
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| 2:55 - 3:10 p.m. |
Break |
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| 3:10 - 4:00 p.m. |
Workshop Session 3 |
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Basics: Top 10 Cobra Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
Amelia M. Klein, Esq., Bond, Schoeneck & King LLP
COBRA, the obligation to provide continued health coverage to workers and their family members when coverage would otherwise be lost, is alive and hissing. Ms. Klein will explore the care and feeding of this "snake" so that the employer will not get bitten by a COBRA lawsuit.
Beyond: Phased Retirement
Patricia L. Scahill, Esq., Ernst & Young, LLP
American workers are aging. The lower birth rates that followed the baby boom will continue to create shortages of talented young workers for decades to come. Since recent losses in the stock market, many employees who are near retirement wonder if their retirement income will be adequate. Will "phased" or gradual retirement replace the traditional retirement where older workers left the workforce never to return? Ms. Scahill will explore the promise and challenges of phased retirement.
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