PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 4

Plan Disclosures Go Digital
RULES & REGULATIONS
T
he Department of Labor (DOL)
issued its final updated electronic
disclosure rule on May 27, adding
email and online platforms to the options
by which retirement plan sponsors may
supply participants with plan disclosures.
The final rule expands on the
2002 DOL safe harbor concerning electronic
delivery methods. That ruling had
addressed then-current emerging internet
and email trends but applied only to participants
who could access electronic documents
in work settings or who consented
to receive disclosures electronically.
" The last time the DOL issued broad
electronic disclosure guidance was in
the time of flip phones, so [the new rule
is] certainly significant, " notes Arsalan
Malik, an associate at Groom Law Group,
Chartered. " From a functional perspective,
the conditions of the final rule are much
more streamlined than the 2002 rule. "
Modern advancements in technology
through the years and, arguably, the
effects of the COVID-19 pandemic-such
as a mass workplace shift to remote environments-led
to the decision to finalize
disclosure delivery for retirement plan
notices. With the new rule, plan sponsors
may either email documents to
participants or apply a notice-and-access
framework. The notice-and-access option
requires plan sponsors to post the disclosure
on a website or app-based platform
and tell participants it is available there.
While the rule streamlines conditions
for electronic disclosure, it does
not replace the 2002 rule. Plan sponsors
can still rely on that directive and can
continue delivering paper copies to participants
if the person prefers, Malik says.
Additionally, even though the final rule
permits electronic disclosure, plan sponsors
must provide the initial notice-plus
4 PLANSPONSOR.COM June - July 2020 Art by Katie Hicks
annual notices-of online availability on
paper, he says.
The initial paper notice must clarify
whether the plan sponsor will communicate
disclosure details through email or
online and must explain how the participant
can access the document, says Brian
Kearney, a principal at Mercer. The notice
must specify which email address, if the
participant has more than one on file, will
be used; if the person would rather receive
notifications via text message, he may opt
for that. The text option has limitations,
however. " You can't send documents
directly through text message, but you
can send notifications letting participants
know their document is available on the
website, " Kearney says.
Additionally, if online platforms are
used, participants will need to set up a
user name and password, and they must be
given the ability to opt in to paper delivery.

http://www.PLANSPONSOR.COM

PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020

Revisiting Wellness
2020 Recordkeeping Survey
Blight Resistant
Debt Busters
A Time for Caution
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Cover1
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Cover2
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 1
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 2
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 3
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 4
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 5
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 6
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 7
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 8
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 9
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 10
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 11
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 12
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 13
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Revisiting Wellness
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 15
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 16
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 17
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 2020 Recordkeeping Survey
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 19
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 20
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 21
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 22
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 23
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 24
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 25
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 26
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 27
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 28
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 29
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 30
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 31
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 32
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 33
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 34
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 35
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Blight Resistant
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 37
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Debt Busters
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 39
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - A Time for Caution
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 41
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 42
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 43
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 44
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 45
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 46
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 47
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - 48
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Cover3
PLANSPONSOR - June/July 2020 - Cover4
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/may_june_2024
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/march_april_2024
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/january_february_2024
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/november_december_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/september_october_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/july_august_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/may_june_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/march_april_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december_2022_february_2023
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october_november_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/august_september_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/june_july_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/excellenceawards_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/april_may_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/february_march_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december_2021_january_2022
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october_november_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/august_september_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/june_july_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/april-may_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/february-march_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december-january_2021
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october-november_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/august-september_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/june-july_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/april-may_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/february-march_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december-january_2020
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october-november_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/august-september_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/june-july_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/april-may_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/february-march_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december_2018-january_2019
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october-november_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/august-september_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/june-july_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/april-may_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/february-march_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/december_2017-january_2018
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/november_december_2017
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/october_2017
https://www.plansponsordigital.com/plansponsor/september_2017
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com