Introduction to Mandated Benefits

Businesses use benefits to attract new employees and retain current employees.  Aside from the fringe benefits that employers may provide voluntarily, various state and federal laws require that certain minimum benefits be provided to employees.

These "mandated" benefits include contributions to the federally-funded programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, as well as state-mandated workers' compensation and disability insurance. These benefits—which most employers must provide—are discussed in this section.

Government mandated benefits include:

• Workers’ Compensation
• Unemployment Compensation
• Social Security
• COBRA / HIPAA
• CHIP (CHIPRA)
• Family and Medical Leave

Most employers are also required by law to provide the following to their employees:

• Allow employees time off to:
  • Vote,
  • Serve on a jury, and
  • Perform military service.