• Employee welfare plans are plans, funds, or programs created by an employer or union to provide sickness, accident, disability, death, unemployment, and vacation benefits; apprenticeship and training programs; kindergartens; scholarship funds; prepaid legal services; or any benefit permitted by the Taft-Hartley Act. These plans differ from employee pension plans that include retirement income or income deferral (eg, “traditional” defined benefit plans, 401(k) plans).