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Department of Labor Issues New Health & Welfare Fringe Benefits Rates for Contracts Covered by the Service Contract Act

Client Alert | 1 min read | 08.08.17

On July 25, 2017, the Department of Labor issued its annual memorandum increasing the health and welfare fringe benefits rate (H&W rate) for contracts covered by the Service Contract Act from $4.27 per hour to $4.41 per hour, with corresponding increases from $1.78 per hour to $1.91 per hour for Hawaii. In a new measure, the DOL set the H&W rate for contracts covered by Executive Order 13706, Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors, at $4.13 per hour ($ 1.63 per hour in Hawaii) to account for the additional paid sick leave benefits covered contractors must provide under E.O. 13706. These new H&W rates must be included in all bids or other service contracts awarded after August 1, 2017, but the rates do not automatically apply to existing contracts until contracting agencies modify the contracts with an updated wage determination.

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Client Alert | 7 min read | 11.02.26

DOL Finalizes PBM Fee Disclosure Requirements

On October 29, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued a 350-page final rule requiring providers of pharmacy benefit management services and their affiliated brokers and consultants to disclose fees and compensation received to fiduciaries of covered large, self-insured ERISA group health plans. According to DOL’s accompanying fact sheet, the disclosures will give employers more visibility into the payments PBMs may receive from various sources and help fiduciaries evaluate and monitor arrangements over time. ...