Employee Participation

After the House Budget Committee advanced the One Big Beautiful Bill on Sunday, lawmakers met Monday to lessen some cuts to federal workers’ retirement benefits, by delaying and grandfathering in implementation of some new proposals.

Following the sudden departure of its CEO, the health insurer is now facing an employee lawsuit, alleging UnitedHealth reduced its employer contributions to the 401(k) plan by more than $19 million by using forfeited funds from departing employees, an ERISA violation.

Under current law, employers may only use surplus pension assets for other benefits if they terminate the pension plan, but the American Benefits Council said their proposals would raise billions of dollars of revenue and be beneficial for employees, employers and taxpayers.

The multiple jobs trend is a reality in the current workforce and the shifts in how people live, work and create financial stability. Whether driven by necessity, motivation to live a certain lifestyle, or the desire for flexibility, traditional employment is evolving.

Interestingly, 70% of employees believe that return-to-office (RTO) mandates are being used as a deliberate strategy to encourage employees to quit.

The Employee Ownership Fairness Act and The Employee Ownership Representation Act would allow employees to save more money for retirement and invest more in their employer’s stock ownership plan.