Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Six day workweek

Now that the Affordable Care Act is becoming reality, we are seeing the effects. Hospitals are seeing their Medicare payments. This is causing layoffs and pay cuts for health care workers. Also, employers are cutting the hours of workers, so that they fall under the definition of 'part time' and are thus not required to provide the employees with health insurance.

With health insurance changes requiring insurance companies to insure people with preexisting conditions, and not charge those same people more for their increased risks and costs, insurance premiums will soar, and this will force many employers to cut insurance benefits out. The company will do one of two things: pay the fine for not insuring the workers, or avoid the fine by transitioning to a part time work force.

Since the limit for part time is 30 hours per week, my prediction is that employers will begin a schedule of three 9 hour workdays for employees, that will total a 27 hour workweek. This will create jobs, but they will be part time jobs. This will mean that employees will have to obtain a second job to make ends meet, especially considering that they will have to obtain insurance at a cost of $400 per month or so, or pay the fines.

This will mean that Americans will work 9 hours per day, six days per week. A 54 hour work week, and less real money to show for it.

Is this the change you voted for?

1 comment:

  1. I'm betting that the next step is to eliminate the "part time loophole"...

    ReplyDelete

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