Do Laws Require Employers to Offer Benefits?

No employer is required by state or federal law to offer:

• retirement plan or any particular type of retirement plan
• health, dental, vision, or hearing plan or any particular type of health, dental, vision, or hearing plan
• life insurance plan or any particular type of life insurance plan
• paid vacations, holidays, or leaves
• flexible benefit plan or any particular type of flexible benefit plan.

But there are laws that require employers to:

• offer time off to employees for specific reasons, such as jury duty, voting in elections, and military service
• follow the rules for workers' compensation
• withhold for FICA and FUTA
• provide a disability plan in designated states
• treat pregnant women the same as other employees with disabilities for purposes of leave and participation in benefit plans.

Be sure to check State Laws for any laws that apply in your state(s).

Reprinted with permission. © CCH