Did you know about the Federal Programs content for HR Knowledgebase?
Also called Government Programs, this optional main (landing) page keeps your employees informed about the benefits-related federal acts that apply to all United States employers.
Its content, including links, is pre-authored, standardized, and intended for general use. Additional links and custom content can be created separately upon request.
Six government programs are included:
- COBRA
- ERISA
- FMLA
- HIPAA
- Social Security
- Disability
Locations
Links to the Federal Programs page typically appear on the following main (landing) pages in the left-hand side bar under the Federal Programs header.
- Health & Wellness
- Financial Benefits (often named “Retirement & Savings”)
- Life & Disability
- Custom benefits-related landing page
Additional links to the Federal Programs page can be added elsewhere on the Knowledgebase site as the customer prefers.
Federal Programs Page Content
COBRA
The federal government's Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 ("COBRA") allows you and your dependents to stay in your group health plan for a specified period after you leave your job. Certain other events allow your dependents to stay in the plan when they would otherwise lose coverage. For more information, see:
ERISA
The federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974, governs most employee benefit plans. ERISA gives certain rights to employees and imposes certain responsibilities on those who control the operation of plans. For more information, see:
FMLA
The federal Family and Medical Leave Act ("FMLA") of 1993 requires covered employers to provide eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for certain family and medical reasons (or up to 26 weeks, in the case of qualifying military caregiver leave). For more information, see:
HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA") is a federal law that helps protect continuity of health care coverage by, for example, allowing special enrollment when certain events occur and prohibiting discrimination in coverage based on health factors. For more information, see:
Social Security
The Social Security Act's income support programs include retirement and disability benefits and benefits for dependents and survivors. The legislation setting up Medicare is also part of the Social Security Act. For more information, see:
Disability
Government disability programs range from state-mandated short-term disability benefits to disability benefits under the Social Security system. Each state has its own workers' compensation laws that deal with on-the-job disabilities. Some states and territories have mandated short-term disability coverage for most employees. Note: This state-mandated coverage generally applies only to disabilities caused by an off-the-job illness or injury or pregnancy. For more information, see:
Federal Programs Page Links
The Federal Programs page's standard content and links follow.
- For COBRA, ERISA, FMLA and HIPAA, their links point to corresponding pages on the Department of Labor's web site.
- Social Security links point to the federal Social Security Administration and Medicaid sites.
- Disability links are state-specific.
Additional links can be added upon request.
Options
- Each of the federal programs' content (header, text, and links) is optional and can be removed from the page as one unit.
- In the three-columned main page, each column contains two programs' information and links.
- At the bottom of each column, one additional header with introductory text and links can be added as desired.
- A banner image, footer text, and the left-hand sidebar with Overview, Related Links, and Find a Form headers for links can be added to the Federal Programs page.
Examples
For examples of the Federal Programs main page and content, refer to the V11 KB: About the Federal Programs Page document.
For questions or more information, contact your HRSD Customer Success Manager.
