As health-care law’s employer mandate nears, firms cut worker hours, struggle with logistics

Washington Post ^ | June 23, 2014 | Sandhya Somashekhar

[grundle]

A number of businesses, including Regal Entertainment and SeaWorld, have reduced hours for part-time workers to fewer than 30 a week — the law’s definition of full time — to avoid having to offer them health insurance. Other companies say they are holding back on hiring to avoid the insurance requirement. Seasonal employees and low-wage workers, such as adjunct professors and cafeteria staffers, have been hit especially hard.

Many of the employers that have cut part-time hours or taken other actions to limit their costs under the law, such as fast-food restaurants and school districts, have large numbers of seasonal or hourly-wage workers. Traditionally, most of these workers have not received health benefits. And they are often difficult to categorize as part time or full time, because their hours vary.

The employers’ actions have become case studies for Republican critics, who call the law “job-killing.” But some Democratic allies have complained as well.

Last week, Unite Here, a union representing cafeteria workers, rallied at the Capitol to criticize what it called a loophole in the law. It says the loophole allowed Sodexo, a French food-service company, to drop health benefits for more than 3,000 workers across the United States.

[grundle]

Unite Here supported Obama in both elections, but they have since complained about Obamacare again and again and again. I guess they didn't read the bill before they helped pass it.

[rbg81]

Gee....looks like a lot more INEQUITY is being create here. Who would have thunk it?

I can almost hear Emperor Palpatine cackling that everything is going exactly as he has foreseen.

[hal ogen]

I do hope anyone who voted for LIBs, DIMs and RINOs is eating their sh** sandwich...and enjoying it.

[VerySadAmerican]

I hope every liberal who keeps voting for liberals suffer. I hope they lose work hours. And I hope those who don’t have to work more to make up the difference. But not get overtime.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Me too. I hope every Libtard gets laid off or down to 29 hours and can’t make the mortgage payment.