It acts as a safety net to insure defined plans across the private sector, ensuring that participants still receive their promised benefits. Understanding ERISA law and its origins is crucial to appreciate the protections it offers to employees participating in employer-sponsored plans in the private industry.
While ERISA does not require an investment policy statement, the Department of Labor has generally promoted it as being consistent with the fiduciary obligations set forth in ERISA.
In general, ERISA does not cover plans established or maintained by governmental entities, churches for their employees, or plans which are maintained solely to comply with applicable workers compensation, unemployment or disability laws.
Myth 2: Equity compensation doesn't offer flexibility That's partly because these plans generally aren't subject to ERISA or IRS nondiscrimination rules, which gives employers the freedom to choose who participates.
The federal courts have uniformly held that equity-based compensation plans are not subject to ERISA's vesting and other requirements. Additionally, ERISA contains a separate exception for “bonus” plans: § 2510.3-2(c) Bonus Program.
Accounts Covered by ERISA Common types of employer-sponsored retirement accounts that fall under ERISA include 401(k) plans, pensions, deferred-compensation plans, and profit-sharing plans. In addition, ERISA laws don't apply to simplified employee pension (SEP) IRAs or other IRAs.
For example, Federal, state, or local government plans and some church plans are not covered.
The Employee Benefits Security Administration is an agency within the Department of Labor that administers and enforces the provisions of Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). ERISA established fiduciary and other standards for employee benefit plans sponsored by private-sector employers.
Common ERISA violations include denying benefits improperly, breaching fiduciary duties, and interfering with employee rights under the plan.