In today’s work environment, there is a bargaining power between employers and employees. Previously, employers had the upper-hand. Due to laws like the National Labor Relations Act, the equality of the bargaining power between them are possible.
The way that this is enforced is through the NLRA Board enforces their policies. This is relevant to employee benefits due to the coverage under private sector companies that protects commerce(NLRA), private sector employee benefits plans(ERISA), employee rights (ERISA), group health plans and required permit beneficiaries (COBRA), discrimination against individuals and beneficiaries based on health status and related factors (HIPAA), discrimination based on protected classes (Title VII of the Civil Rights Act), company sponsored retirement plans (Pension Protection Plan), equal employment opportunities (EEOC and the laws that comply with this agency), and so on.
The way the law regulates the way employers can do mass layoffs and other forms of adverse impact is to create policies and acts that do so. An example is the WARN Act, which applies to the illegal bargaining subject. It states that employers give a 60-day notice before they do drastic changes to the employees work status, such as closing a large building.
Another way employers can enforce benefits laws is by offsetting taxes by contributing to retirement funds. Other benefits that can help deduct their taxes are implemented as well. This is a positive way to compromise providing benefits.
The government is a huge compliance factor when it comes to providing benefits. Agencies enforce these policies and their consequences in an effort to create an appropriate benefits system for employees working in most private-sector companies as well as others.