The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many employers to make unanticipated changes to their workforce, with many retailers rolling out a combination of furloughs, layoffs, and breaks in service to address changing market demands and shelter-in-place orders. Other retailers, particularly in grocery and online markets, saw an unplanned spike in demand, and went on a hiring binge and increased existing employees’ hours.

The following update addresses possible consequences of these scheduling modifications for the employees’ group health plan eligibility for the remainder of the current year and into 2021. Read the full article.