Fringe benefits are available from private industry or state employment. Such benefits can be offered by the world’s largest multinational corporations, or tiny, mom-and-pop neighborhood businesses. Some of these benefit plans are covered by the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”). Other plans, including those available to state, county, and municipal employees, are generally subject to Title 43 of New Jersey Statutes.

ERISA requires plans to provide participants with information about the plan important information about plan features and funding; provides fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets; requires plans to establish a grievance and appeals process for participants to get benefits from their plans; and gives participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches of fiduciary duty.

The Employee Retirement Income Security of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.