|
RAPAPORT... The National Retail Federation (NRF) urged Congress to pass the "Save American Workers Act," which is designed to change the Affordable Care Act’s definition of full-time employment from 30 hours to 40 hours per week. NRF sent a letter to the House saying that all votes related to the bill, H.R. 2575, would be considered key votes for the association’s annual scorecard. “NRF greatly appreciates the bipartisan support for changes to the Affordable Care Act’s definition of full-time work for benefit eligibility,” said NRF's senior vice president for government relations, David French. “It is, after all, a common sense approach.” The key vote letter follows testimony from NRF in January, at which time the group explained to the House Ways and Means Committee that a 30-hour definition is difficult for retailers given the large number of employees who work a variable number hours given the cyclical nature of the business.
NRF has led the retail industry’s efforts to make the Affordable Care Act law work for employers and employees alike and has collaborated with both the Obama administration and Congress to advance changes to reflect more practical concerns of retailers. In addition to seeking a 40-hour definition for full-time workers, NRF has supported legislation that would limit the law to companies with 100 or more full-time workers rather than 50. French added, “The 40-hour full-time definition proposed in H.R. 2575 will return flexibility to employers. We hope to continue to work to help mitigate the negative effects [the Affordable Care Act has] on the retail industry and retail employees.” The Affordable Care Act’s employer mandate is set to go into effect in 2015 for employers with 100 or more full-time workers and that threshold lowers to 50 employees in 2016.
|