Amy Thompson Sunderland

This week, we proudly hosted our Masters Series seminar, bringing together over 90 attendees from 53 companies to dive deep into the complexities of leave and benefits management. The session, titled "Leave and Benefits A to Z: Navigating State Leave Laws, the FMLA, ADA, Benefit Coordination, and Beyond," provided valuable insights and practical strategies to help organizations stay compliant and support their employees effectively.  

 McGrath North is happy to announce that attorney Amy Thompson Sunderland has joined the firm’s Labor and Employment and Employee Benefits Practice Group.  

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), signed into law on July 4, 2025, delivers significant updates to employee benefits. Most notably, it expands HSA eligibility, increases dependent care FSA limits (finally!), makes permanent student loan repayment assistance, solidifies paid family and medical leave employer tax credits, includes updates for measuring executive compensation taxable caps, and introduces employer contributions to “Trump Accounts” (i.e., investment accounts for children). Below is a breakdown of these updates that could significantly affect how employers offer employee benefits in the years ahead.  

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) requires group health plans to provide mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) benefits equal to medical/surgical benefits. In September 2024, federal agencies issued the 2024 MHPAEA Final Rule, introducing new compliance requirements with effective dates beginning January 1, 2025.