Small Business Compliance with Department of Labor Beyond COVID-19

Did you know that most employees in the U.S. are covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA or Act)? As an employer, are you aware of and meeting your obligations? Come join the SBA’s Illinois District Office and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage & Hour Division and the Employee Benefits Security Administration for an overview of the COBRA premium assistance under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, federal wage and hour laws, and how they are enforced. 

About the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA): The act gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as a termination of employment, reduction in the hours worked, death, divorce, and other life events. Under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, individuals who experienced an involuntary termination of employment or a reduction in hours may be eligible for a subsidy for the full COBRA premium for coverage periods beginning on or after April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. 

About the Wage and Hour Division: The Wage and Hour Division’s mission is protecting essential workers’ workplace rights and informing employers of compliance assistance information critical to their day-to-day business decisions.