A virtual cup of coffee with DDIFO Executive Director Ed Shanahan

IRS Issues COBRA Guidance  A few weeks ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released its much-anticipated guidance on an individuals premium costs and an employers tax breaks for continuation of COBRA coverage. Among the provisions in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) is a temporary 100% reduction in an individual’s COBRA health coverage premium following either… Read More »

Illinois Expands Secure Choice  The Illinois General Assembly gave final approval to a bill (HB 117) that broadens the applicability of the Secure Choice Savings Program, dropping the threshold at which employers must register to allow their employees to enroll in the retirement plan. House Bill 117 as amended provides that the program applies to all employers with at… Read More » Chicago Wage Theft & Illinois Sick Leave  Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has filed a set of ordinances with the City Council, that would dramatically change the landscape for businesses within the Windy City. The Mayor’s package, which she has dubbed the “Chi Biz Strong Initiative”, defines a business as guilty of wage theft if it fails to timely pay a covered employee… Read More » Within a Couple Hours of O’Hare?  Did you know the Secure Choice Savings Program is changing? Were you aware of the changes to the Illinois Employee Sick Leave Act? How about the Mayor’s Chi Biz Strong Initiative? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then you need to register for the Chicago Regional Meeting on June 16 at… Read More »

Maine Working to End At-Will Employment  Efforts continue in the Maine legislature to eliminate the notion of at-will employment. Although it may be considered a long-shot, work sessions have continued around advancing L.D. 553, An Act to End At-will Employment. The proposal, which has been favorably voted on by the Committee on Labor and Housing (7-3 vote), would require the employer… Read More » MA Mandates Emergency Paid Sick Leave  Last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill that grants employees up to 40 hours of emergency paid sick leave (EPSL) for COVID-related illness, quarantine and vaccinations. Effective immediately upon signing through September 30, 2021 or until program funds expire, the new law (H.3702) entitles employees to the additional leave for an… Read More » Were You Aware of House 3702?  If you weren’t aware of Maine trying to end at-will employment, or that House Bill 3702 was signed into Massachusetts law last week or you don’t know what its passage may mean for your Dunkin’, then you would be well-advised to register now for the June 23 Northeast Regional Meeting at the Framingham Sheraton Hotel… Read More »

EEOC Updates COVID Guidance  Last Friday, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) updated its guidance regarding employers offering incentives for employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This latest updated guidance also clarifies issues related to whether employers can mandate employees be vaccinated before entering the workplace. Specifically, it clarifies a number of ways that employers can promote vaccinations and… Read More » Competitor News  Krispy Kreme going public again commanded a good amount of news coverage recently, and rightly so. The North Carolina-based donut chain with about 1500 units nationwide filed an IPO earlier this week looking to raise $100 million through the offering. The company was previously publicly traded until JAB Holdings took it private just 5 years… Read More » Congratulations!  One couldn’t help but take note of the great coverage Chicago franchisee Raj Patel got this month as the lead in the QSR story in QSR Magazine, 28 Young Restaurant Leaders To Watch. The article highlights the tremendous growth – from 8 Dunkin’s to 70, along with other brands – that the family firm, The… Read More »

June 4, 2021

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