Please answer the following questions. (Human Resources Questions)
First: Other than the mandates of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and a few other ineffectual reporting and disclosure requirements, benefit programs were practically unregulated by the federal government. Before the major shift that came with the enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, which was primarily aimed at traditional defined benefit (DB) pension plans but applicable to other employer sponsored retirement and benefit programs.
a) What is the government's current role in regulating the administration of employee benefits?
b) Do you think there is too little or too much government intervention? Why?
There has been great concern expressed by many about the government's involvement in employee benefits. Is this appropriate in our capitalistic society? Or is the government taking control too far?
Second: There are certain benefits that are legislatively mandated and cannot be altered or dropped by an organization for any reason other than the organization is closing its doors for good! Social Security and Medicare, unemployment insurance, worker's compensation, COBRA and FMLA are all federal and state mandated programs.
a) What do you think determines the types of programs that the government chooses to make mandatory?
b) Do you feel these programs are efficient and effective? Why or why not?