ERISA litigation and the growing case for voluntary benefits captives 

• Lawsuits challenge employers’ oversight of voluntary benefits plans  
• Broker commissions and carrier practices face fiduciary scrutiny 
• Captives offer greater transparency and employee value  

Recent lawsuits concerning voluntary employee benefits plans in the United States should prompt employers to rethink how benefits are structured and captives can play a central role by providing better cost management, alignment and transparency around these programmes. 

Law firm Schlichter Bogard LLC recently filed a group of lawsuits alleging breaches of fiduciary duty under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) in connection with employee voluntary benefits programmes in the US.