On Tuesday evening, July 2, 2013, the Department of the Treasury and White House Administration (the "Administration") announced that the employer mandate portion of the Affordable Care Act will not be effective until January 1, 2015 - a year after its original effective date. While other provisions of the ACA, including the opening of the exchanges and the individual mandate, will be in effect as of January 1, 2014, employers who do not offer health care coverage that meets the requirements of the ACA or choose not to provide any health care coverage to their fulltime employees will not be subject to penalties in the upcoming fiscal year. For more information about this development, click here to read the statement released by the Administration.

Parker Poe will continue to provide additional information and updates through our weekly EmployNews bulletin as continued guidance on this transitional relief becomes available in the coming weeks and months.