CC PACKET 12111990 - Laserfiche WebLink

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STATEMENT OF RIGHTS OF PLAN PARTICIPANTS As a participant in the plan, you are entitled to certain rights and protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) . ERISA provides that all participants shall be entitled to: 1. Examine, without charge, at the employer office all plan documents and copies of all documents filed by the plan with the U.S. Department of Labor, such as annual reports and plan descriptions. 2 . Obtain copies of all plan documents and other plan information upon written request to the employer. A reasonable charge may be made for the copies. 3 . Receive a summary of the plan's annual financial report. In addition to creating rights for plan participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of the plan. The people who operate your plan, called "fiduciaries" of the plan, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other plan participants and beneficiaries. No one may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA. If your claim for a benefit • under this plan is denied in whole or in part, you must receive a written explanation of the reason for the denial. You have the right to have the employer review and reconsider your claim. Under ERISA there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. For instance, if you request materials from the plan and do not receive them within 30 days, you may file suit in a federal court. In such a case, the court may require the employer to provide the materials and pay you up to $100 a day until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because of reasons beyond its control. If you have a claim for benefits which is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a state or federal court. If it should happen that plan fiduciaries misuse the plan's money, if any, or if you are discriminated against for asserting your rights, you may seek assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, or you may file suit in federal court. The court will decide who should pay costs and legal fees. If you are successful, the court may order the person you have sued to pay these costs and fees. If you lose, the court may order you to pay these costs and fees, for example, if it finds your claim is frivolous. 4