The SeaWorld chain of amusement parks is cutting hours for thousands of its part-time workers from 32 hours per week to 28 hours as of November, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Market analysts told the newspaper the move appears to be directly tied to the Affordable Care Act’s definition of full-time workers as those who work 30 hours per week, instead of the traditional 40 hours.
The law’s “employer mandate” requires businesses with 50 or more full-time employers to provide adequate health coverage or pay fines. In July, the White House announced it would delay the mandate by one year, to 2015.
Critics of the health care law said the 30-hour threshold is already compelling larger employers to cut hours because they either do not want to or cannot afford to provide health care for these newly eligible employees that now would be considered full-time.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.