By: Alison McMorran Sulentic
This Article examines John Paul II's writings on work and
explores how these ideas might be put into practice in the design
and implementation of an employee benefit plan. Systems
analysis is helpful in locating an employee benefit plan within the
context of complex and interdependent workplace compensation
scheme. The Article uses the systems approach to clarify the
differences between (a) a workplace compensation arrangement that
complies with ERISA, while maximizing the employer's profit margin
and (b) a workplace compensation arrangement that is also
ERISA-compliant, but aims to fulfill the commitment to human
dignity described in Laborem Exercens. The pros and cons of
selecting an independent fiduciary rather than a "two-hat"
fiduciary serve as the basis for illustrating the difference
between the systems.