The year 2020 saw COVID-19 challenges for plan sponsors and participants across the retirement industry. My prior blog asked the following questions: (1) Are 401(k) savings plans facing partial plan terminations? (2) What will happen with 401(k) safe harbor plan contributions? (3) Can employer matching contributions be suspended?

This update addresses a change for partial plan terminations.

What about partial plan terminations? Hot off the press, in the $900 billion COVID-19 stimulus package just passed by Congress, partial terminations are addressed. As a refresher, "partial termination" is a term in the tax code. It means there has been more than a 20% reduction in an employer's workforce due to unforeseen business circumstances causing financial issues or a business downturn during the year. It results in 100% vesting of retirement benefits for those employees affected, meaning the employees who lost their jobs.

The bill states: A plan shall not be treated as having a partial termination (within the meaning of 411(d) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) during any plan year which includes the period beginning on March 13, 2020, and ending on March 31, 2021, if the number of active participants covered by the plan on March 31, 2021 is at least 80 percent of the number of active participants covered by the plan on March 13, 2020.

What does this mean? Plan sponsors of defined contribution retirement plans 401(k), profit sharing will not incur a partial plan termination if the active participant count in the plan at March 2021 is 80% of the active participant count at the time the COVID-19 national emergency was declared.

Although the new legislation is for this time period only, it may help alleviate financial difficulties for businesses across all industries. For businesses that have been able to successfully weather the financial downturn, rebuild their business, and hire and rehire more staff, a partial termination worry is not there.

For information on these topics or the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act related to COVID-19, contact your Milliman consultant.