Employer Resource Institute Audio Conference

Originally presented on October 11, 2007

Order Option       Price   CD Recording Only       $199       ADD TO CART

As an additional benefit, you will receive a no-risk trial subscription to California Wage & Hour Advisor when you register for this audio conference (or purchase a CD recording). You will receive 3 evaluation issues. If you want to continue to receive the newsletter, simply pay the invoice you will receive in the mail. If you decide the newsletter isn't for you, just write cancel on the invoice and return it. You will owe nothing, and all issues you receive are yours to keep. As with all ERI products, your satisfaction is guaranteed 100%. (Offer good for new subscribers only.)

Managing domestic partner benefits for your workforce involves more than simply adding the phrase "domestic partners" to your insurance policies.

From California's Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act and the Internal Revenue Code to your cafeteria plan and your tax records, you'll find lots of fine print—and many confusing questions—about planning and offering these benefits. What's the difference between domestic partners who are "dependents" and those who are not? Are domestic partner benefits subject to tax? Do the rules change if the domestic partners have children? Should you treat opposite-sex domestic partners and common-law spouses the same as same-sex domestic partners? And, how should you refer to domestic partners in your policies and handbooks to avoid inadvertently offending those employees in the first place?

You'll find the answers to these questions and more during our 90-minute audio conference on Oct. 11, as our experts offer the most current legal dos and don'ts in California for managing domestic partner benefits in your workplace. You'll learn the latest legal strategies—at both the federal and state levels—to deal with the most challenging issues, from documenting your employees' domestic partner status to handling disputes over your existing insurance plans. Plus, our speakers will share the most common mistakes California employers make with domestic partner benefits and give you practical advice to avoid repeating them!

YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES WILL LEARN:

• The basic federal and state laws governing domestic partner benefits - and what you should do when the laws conflict
• The preferred terms you should use in your handbooks and policies when referring to domestic partners
• The best ways to ask employees to document their domestic partner stat
• some domestic partners are "dependents" (and how that affects their benefits)
• How to handle the most common domestic partner issues in your existing insurance policies, cafeteria plans, and other benefits plans
• Your legal obligations that may be hidden within COBRA, ERISA, and other laws
• The differences in managing benefits for same-sex domestic partners, opposite-sex domestic partners, and common-law spouses
• Why some domestic partner benefits may increase your taxes
• How the rules change when your employees in domestic partnerships have children

ABOUT YOUR SPEAKERS:

Heather B. Abrigo, Esq., is an associate with the law firm Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen, P.C. She focuses her practice on assisting public- and private-sector plan sponsors, third-party administrators, and other pension service providers in all aspects of employee benefit issues. She helps these clients comply with matters ranging from the qualification of state domestic relations orders to the drafting of plan documents. Abrigo earned her law degree at Southwestern University School of Law.

Stephanie L. Bennett, Esq., is an associate with Reish Luftman Reicher & Cohen, P.C. She helps clients deal with many employee benefits matters, particularly retirement plans, nonqualified plans, and executive compensation. Also, she counsels clients on complying with their benefit-related fiduciary duties, and she prepares plan corrections and represents employers with agencies ranging from the Internal Revenue Service to the U.S. Department of Labor. She has co-written numerous articles on employee benefits matters. Bennett earned her law degree at the University of Iowa College of Law.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hour toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

How Do Audio Conferences Work?

An audio conference is remarkably cost-effective and convenient. You participate from your office using a regular telephone. You have no travel costs and no out-of-office time.

Plus, for one low price you can get as many people in your office to participate as you can fit around a speakerphone.

Because the conference is live, you can ask the speakers questions'either on the phone or via e-mail.

With your registration, you also receive conference materials with additional practical information from California Employer Advisor sent to you via e-mail shortly before the conference.

Why You Can Sign Up To Attend This Event with Confidence

As with all California Employer Advisor products, you're completely protected. If for any reason you are unsatisfied with this audio conference, simply let us know and we will return your entire registration fee.