Hawkins

**Workers Win Case Against Employer Who Failed to Pay Required Benefits** This case involved temporary employees who sued Lewins Electric LLC after the company failed to make required health and welfare benefit contributions on their behalf in 2016. The workers claimed the company broke its contract by not paying into the benefit plan as required. The court sided completely with the workers, awarding them $23,808.28 in damages. The judge ruled that Lewins Electric violated federal law (specifically ERISA Section 515) and breached the Health and Welfare Plan Trust Agreement. The company was legally required to make these fringe benefit contributions for temporary employees but failed to do so. **What this means for workers:** Even temporary employees may be entitled to certain benefit contributions from their employers. If your employer is required to pay into health and welfare plans on your behalf and fails to do so, you have legal rights to recover those missing contributions. Companies cannot simply ignore their contractual obligations to provide benefits, even for temporary workers. This ruling reinforces that employers must follow through on benefit commitments regardless of employment status.