RICHMOND Va. — State agencies are reducing part-time employees’ hours until officials figure out how to comply with federal health insurance requirements regarding those who work more than 30 hours each week.
Gov. Bob McDonnell ordered agencies to cut back part-time employees to no more than 29 hours each week to avoid triggering a provision in the Affordable Care Act that requires health insurance coverage be provided to those who work more hours.
But officials are unsure how the law affects some employees, such as the more than 9,000 adjunct professors at community colleges. They also aren’t sure how reducing employees’ hours will affect services.
“We’re trying to get a really good grasp of who we have, what are the jobs they’re doing, if they’re working more than 30 hours, is it necessary, why?” Secretary of Administration Lisa Hicks-Thomas, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch (http://bit.ly/U2GlhZ).
State officials estimate that providing basic health benefits to part-time, hourly employees who work at least 30 hours a week would cost from $61 million to $110 million, if their families also are covered.
A recent survey showed agencies have nearly 7,400 wage employees who work more than 30 hours each week. Many of those—nearly 1,500—are working in the Virginia Community College System.
Department of Alcohol Beverage Control spokeswoman Rebecca V. Gettings says the agency will have to adjust weekly schedules to comply and continue adequately staffing state liquor stores. Part-time employees, including clerks and cashiers in the state’s liquor stores, account for almost two-thirds of the agency’s workforce.
