401(k) match cut 2025: Sherwin-Williams cuts 401(k) match — could your employer be next to slash benefits?

Sherwin-Williams 401 (K) ends the match by giving economic struggles
Now, employees see the match disappeared. This is the case of employees in Sherwin-Williams, a Ohio-based paint company, which has previously suspended the 401 (K) match, which has previously contributed to a 6% company. According to a report of Cleveland.com, the company blamed a mixture of economic challenges, including weak housing demand, latest inflation and tariff policies within the scope of US President Donald Trump.
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Other companies cut 401 (K) matches
This movement worried some workers and Sherwin-Williams is not the first company that did it, and probably not the end. Employers, according to the market monitoring report, cut the 401 (K) match at challenging financial times such as 2008 financial crisis or COVİD-19 PANDEM.
Earlier this year, Werner Enterprises, a truck company, suspended the 401 (K) match according to the report. The change was part of the cost of saving a $ 40 million. According to the market monitoring report, the company said that it has made “difficult but necessary” changes to support long -term growth.
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Why to lose 401 (k) match comes as a shock for many employees
However, a match loss for employees can be a shock. As quoted in the report, Karen Friedman, General Manager of Pension Rights Center, said, “Many people are waiting for it to continue,” he said. He said that these matches could be gathered over time and that the workers could encourage retirement for retirement in the first place according to the market time.
Can employers legally change or finish their contributions to 401 (K)?
Nevertheless, companies are usually within the right to make these changes. Joy Napier-Joyce, a Baltimore-based lawyer focusing on the benefits of the employer, said that companies do not have to offer 401 (K). According to Market Watch, even when they do, they have the right to change or even eliminate the match.
Napier-Joyce, if the employees become unionized, any match suspension or other changes in the 401 (K) plan, according to the report typically subject to contract bargaining, he added.
Secure Harbor 401 (K) plans require prior notification before deductions
Lisa Cummings, a Dallas-based lawyer who advised companies on retirement plans, said that the Pafe-Harbor 401 (K) plans, which came with certain tax advantages, require at least 30 days of notification before making a change according to the market monitoring of companies. But even then, when the time is difficult, employers can proceed with suspensions.
As stated in the report, he said that retirement aids were often the first things to cut when costs increase due to economic changes ”.
Pension benefits are usually cut at difficult economic times
It continues to see if this is a wider tendency, and Cummings said that as it is quoted by the Market Watch, “employers do not take this harsh step unless they encounter very difficult economic conditions”.
However, Cummings, as quoted in the report, “The removal of the employer match is ready for retirement and the labor of labor weakens the morale,” he said.
FAQ
Is it legal for a company to stop pairing 401 (K) contributions?
Yes. Employers do not need to present 401 (K) or continue the match and they can suspend according to the market monitoring report, especially during financial problems.
Do companies have to notify before they cut the match?
Only 401 (K) is a safe service plan. In these cases, employers should make at least 30 days of notification.




