In 2016 California passed legislation that employers who do not sponsor an employee-retirement plan must participate in a state-run retirement program. This program became known as CalSavers.

While there have been legal challenges to CalSavers, the program persists. CalSavers provides an opportunity for employees to defer wages, through payroll deductions by the employer, to a state-run individual retirement savings account program.

An employer is not required to participate in CalSavers if it sponsors or participates in a retirement plan such as a 401(k) plan or pension plan. To be exempt from CalSavers, an employer may sponsor a retirement plan for any of its employees; California employees need not enroll in the retirement plan for the employer to be exempt.

Previously, under the statute “eligible employer” was defined as a person or entity engaged in a business, industry, profession, trade, or another enterprise in the state, excluding specified federal, state, and local governmental entities, with 5 or more employees and that satisfies certain requirements to establish or participate in a payroll deposit retirement savings arrangement.

On August 26, 2022, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 1126, which expands the definition of eligible employer to include a person or entity, as described above, that has at least one eligible employee and that satisfies the requirements to establish or participate in a payroll deposit retirement savings arrangement, and would additionally exclude from the definition of “eligible employer” sole proprietorships, self-employed individuals, or other business entities that do not employ any individuals other than the owners of the business.

Also, the bill requires that eligible employers with 5 or more employees that do not offer a retirement savings program, to have a payroll deposit saving arrangement to allow employee participation in the program within 36 months after the board opens the program for enrollment. Moreover, by December 31, 2025, all eligible employers with one or more employees would need to have a payroll deposit savings arrangement, if they do not provide a retirement savings program.

If employers have questions about California’s retirement plan mandate or about employee benefits, contact a Jackson Lewis attorney to discuss.

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Photo of Donald P. Sullivan Donald P. Sullivan

Donald P. Sullivan is a principal in the San Francisco, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Donald has more than 20 years of experience defending and counseling employers, as well as fiduciaries, sponsors, and insurers of employee benefit plans, in state and federal…

Donald P. Sullivan is a principal in the San Francisco, California, office of Jackson Lewis P.C. Donald has more than 20 years of experience defending and counseling employers, as well as fiduciaries, sponsors, and insurers of employee benefit plans, in state and federal courts and before state and federal agencies, including the United States Department of Labor, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and California’s Departments of Industrial Relations and Fair Employment and Housing.

In his employee benefits practice, Donald regularly advises and represents both pension and welfare benefit plans and their fiduciaries in class action and single-participant litigation. With respect to pension plans, Donald defends plans and fiduciaries against lawsuits alleging imprudent investments in employer securities, imprudent selection of investment options, excessive administrative fees, and entitlement to benefits. With respect to welfare plans, Donald defends plans, fiduciaries, and insurers of insured benefit plans in both ERISA and non-ERISA actions seeking the payment of short and long-term disability, life and medical benefits. Donald also frequently represents employee benefit plans and their fiduciaries in investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

In his employment practice, Donald defends clients in cases alleging violations of the California Labor Code related to the payment of wages, as well as in lawsuits alleging discrimination on the basis of race, gender, age and disability in violation of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and federal statutes, including Title VII, the ADA, and the ADEA. He has extensive experience defending both single-plaintiff and class action ERISA and California wage and hour lawsuits. Integral to Donald’s practice are the privacy protections afforded to individuals under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Donald’s interest and commitment to the employment and employee benefits practice has very deep roots. In college, he worked for the Office of Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining for Washington, D.C. He worked for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission while in law school. After law school, he began representing employers and management in employment and labor disputes, while developing a sub-specialty in employee benefits, ERISA, and healthcare. Donald was a law clerk for the Honorable Everett A. Martin, Fourth Judicial Circuit of Virginia, 1996-1997. Before joining Jackson Lewis, Donald practiced in the Chambers USA awarding-wining labor and employment group of a national Philadelphia-based law firm.