Vanity: Overheard at McDonald's: Job Loss Due To Health Care Vote

Vanity

[justlurking]

I wonder what the law says about employers having to provide health insurance for employees.

I read a summary yesterday -- I'm not sure it was accurate, or my memory was accurate:

A business with more than 50 full-time employees must provide health insurance that covers at least 60% of medical costs. Part-time employees are included "pro-rata", so two half-time employees are the equivalent of one full-time employee.

I'm not sure if part-time employees have to be covered. If they do, then this would increase the cost per part-time employee, and it would be cheaper to only hire full-time employees (good-bye to after-school jobs).

[justlurking]

The other option they have, and one I expect will be chosen more often as times passes, is to drop coverage and pay $750 in fines per year for each employee.

The House bill raised this fine to $2000/employee. I'm not sure if it was enacted in this form, or how it would be enacted.

[Nickname]

I’m in a pretty conservative area but I’m sure there are some who enthusiastically voted for him. Their troubles will just be blamed on corporate greed.

[Ingtar]

The House Reconciliation Bill has 2 chances: slim and none.

[Jim from C-Town]

Exactly right. My wife and I chose an HSA account and coverage because the standard 80/20 plan increased in price by 20% and we have a child with a serious medical condition.

We love the new plan, we met the out of pocket of $2,500 in January and pay just $65 a pay check for the medical plan. Her employer pays the other 60% of the cost. We are going to save thousands of dollars this year with this plan because he goes to several Dr. appointments a month at what used to be $20 co-pays per visit. And they never end.

Now these idiots are going to eliminate this plan and we will be forced to pay hundreds of dollars a month more for insurance and much more out of pocket over the year.

[Cyman]

“My guess is that companies are going to cut staff, hold or cut pay, or some combination thereof. It will not be pretty. And that’s assuming the company decides in the first place to continue operations in the United States at it’s current model, outsource, or completely discontinue operations here entirely”

This morning I had to tell my medical office staff that we needed to cut 1 and 1/2 employees by the first of April. I asked for volunteers regarding cutting back hours or retirement in case someone had been thinking about that very thing. Got no takers as of yet. Seven person office with 5 of the 7 being with me over 10 years.

I am afraid that i will be saying goodbye to some very good friends. I feel worse than when they passed this crap.

[DrC]

“that’s assuming the company decides in the first place to continue operations in the United States”

In the case of McDonald’s this presumably won’t be an issue. To my knowledge, hamburger delivery cannot yet be outsourced to India...

[Drango]

NO! Health Care Act is a job killer? Who knew?

[Grunthor]

Thanks Barry!

[Chode]

everybody that has to lay off/fire people, should tell them it's because of 0bamacare...

[Osage Orange]

I’m guessing down the line...you the employer will be mandated to supply what Obama and his henchmen want, or else.

[TomGuy]

My hair salon owner said he will have to hire only full-time workers because he cannot pay the unemployment insurance and health insurance costs of part-timers.

In previous recessions, many employers would hire 2 temps/part-timers, rather than 1 full-timer, so they would NOT have to pay benefits.

[Tallguy]

She’s one of the lucky ones who will keep her full time status but others are losing theirs. They’ll be filling in the gaps with part time employees.

... who they still will have to insure (the part-timers I mean).

[Nickname]

Do they understand why you’re having to do that? I think that there are usually a few who think that the business owner is just making it rich off of their labor.

[popdonnelly]

If electric rates are doubled, I’m getting one of those old miner’s hats with a lantern on the front.

[Freddd]

That means they will have to do with less employee’s but maintain service and service times = overworked workers.

[Azzurri]

This morning I had to tell my medical office staff that we needed to cut 1 and 1/2 employees by the first of April. I asked for volunteers regarding cutting back hours or retirement in case someone had been thinking about that very thing. Got no takers as of yet. Seven person office with 5 of the 7 being with me over 10 years.

Easy solution...find out which of the 7 voted for Obama or Democrats and lay them off first. Of course, if they are all conservatives, then you are stuck with an unfortunate dilemma.

[Tallguy]

That means they will have to do with less employee’s but maintain service and service times = overworked workers.

I guess the silver lining in all this is that the oft-quoted 'worker productivity' index will continue to rise (snort). Of course THAT number is more phony than the current unemployment numbers.

[METARZAN]

I own a business, it appears that “independent contractor” will be the way to go. 1099 them and let them deal with the headaches.

[PapaBear3625]

The health care bill just raised the cost of having an employee. This means that if the employer has a choice between hiring a new employee or buying a labor-saving device that will allow him to produce more with existing employees, he's going to buy the machine.

It will also create an advantage for outsourcing more service/software/engineering jobs overseas.