Ergonomics

Minimum standards for private sector pension plans and health care plans were established under ERISA, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. In addition to the basic provision for pension plans, the Act also requires information sharing and a degree of transparency for participants. For example, ERISA mandates the availability of information regarding plan features, funding, and fiduciary responsibilities as well as offering participants information about legal rights related to their pension and health benefit plans ("Employee Retirement Income Security Act -- ERISA," n.d.). Although the original Act was drafted in 1974, ERISA has been largely superseded by amendments, the most recent of which is the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

ERISA does not apply to all Americans, so it is important for Americans to understand whether their situation is covered under its rubric. According to the United States Department of Labor, which oversees ERISA and...
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