The National Restaurant Association (NRA) on Tuesday emphasized its support for bipartisan
legislation to change the health care law’s definition of full-time from 30
hours to 40 hours.
The NRA reiterated
its support Tuesday after the House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing
examining the law’s impact on jobs and opportunities. Since the law—which will
require employers who average 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees to
provide health care coverage to full-time employees starting in 2015 or face
penalties—was passed nearly four years ago, restaurateurs have been concerned
that the requirements will come at the expense of scheduling flexibility and
full-time opportunities.
The National
Restaurant Association supports three current bills that would set a 40-hour
full-time definition: The Forty Hours is Full Time Act (S. 1188, H.R. 2988),
and the Save American Workers Act (H.R. 2575). Each has drawn support from
members of both parties.
“A 30-hour
full-time definition is not aligned with current workforce practice and does
not reflect the desire of restaurant and foodservice employees for flexible
work schedules and increased hours,” said National Restaurant Association CEO
Dawn Sweeney. “We are encouraged by the growing bipartisan support from both
House and Senate leaders addressing this challenge.”
The NRA is a leader
of the Employers for Flexibility in Health Care coalition (E-FLEX), which
re-emphasized its support for a 40-hour full-time definition in a letter to
the House Ways and Means Committee.
“Increasing the
ACA’s rigid 30-hour-per week definition of full-time status would make it
easier for employers to provide more hours to all employees, thereby increasing
their take-home pay. Help employers offer more generous health coverage to
full-time employees without making employers share of premiums cost
prohibitive, and help ensure that lower-income employees have access to more
affordable coverage options,” the coalition wrote in its letter.
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