What Maryland employers are cutting hours in response to Obamacare?

[MDCivilServant]

Obamacare classifies employees working 30 or more hours as full time. Apparently the number of full time employees determines the companies obligations under Obamacare. To save money companies are cutting employee hours (see link below).

I was told today by a friend who works at a major chain of convenience stores in this region that employees there are going to have their hours cut.

Does anyone know of any specific examples of local companies doing this?

http://www.citytowninfo.com/career-a...ndate-11122102

"Major elements of the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- are set to take effect in 2014, including the employer mandate that will require employers to offer health care benefits to employees who work 30 hours per week or more. For adjunct professors at one school, however, the legislation will not result in an expansion of coverage, but rather a loss in earnings as officials try to limit the institution's financial burden."

[prepfan]

Obamacare classifies employees working 30 or more hours as full time. Apparently the number of full time employees determines the companies obligations under Obamacare. To save money companies are cutting employee hours (see link below).

I was told today by a friend who works at a major chain of convenience stores in this region that employees there are going to have their hours cut.

Does anyone know of any specific examples of local companies doing this?

http://www.citytowninfo.com/career-a...ndate-11122102

"Major elements of the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- are set to take effect in 2014, including the employer mandate that will require employers to offer health care benefits to employees who work 30 hours per week or more. For adjunct professors at one school, however, the legislation will not result in an expansion of coverage, but rather a loss in earnings as officials try to limit the institution's financial burden."

Also from the cite:

"Hoovler noted that students have also seen tuition increases and the college had explored other means of cutting hours without "finding an affordable option."

I wonder if they explored cutting the more adminstrative costs (lowering the higher salaries of adminstrators; consolidation of departments, etc.).


Will this thread be moved to National, if no one posts specific examples witin MD (and the discussion focus on Obamacare pro/con) ?

[Omaha Beach]

Weis stores limits employee hours so they are not covered by Obamacare.

[Just Pondering]

In general, don't all increased business costs just get passed on to the consumer, including employees who "consume" healthcare dollars?

The Obamacare law needs a few more hundred pages that makes it illegal for businesses to reduce employee hours. Maybe Nancy Pelosi can whip something up. We'll pass it and read it later.

[bmore_ken]

Weis stores limits employee hours so they are not covered by Obamacare.

If you have a link to that I'd love to see it

[OldBay]

Why would employers cut hours now when the law will not be implemented until 2014?

[MDCivilServant]

Why would employers cut hours now when the law will not be implemented until 2014?

I think you're right that that part doesn't kick in until 2014. Other parts of the law have begun and even more begin next year.

But it appears companies are preparing now.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/...-olive-gardens

Darden, the world's largest casual-dining company and one of the nation's 30 largest employers, said it offers health insurance to all its approximately 185,000 employees. Many are offered a limited-benefit plan. That type of coverage is being phased out under health-care changes, which will ban annual limits for most plans.

About 25 percent of Darden workers are full time, meaning they work more than 30 hours a week. Though employees say Darden already offers traditional health insurance to full-timers, Janney Capital Markets analyst Mark Kalinowski said the cost of providing that could become higher for Darden under the Affordable Care Act. Because that law requires everyone to have health insurance, more workers will likely choose its coverage, Kalinowski said.