Restaurants Wrestle With Obamacare Requirements

Tabatha George offered insight to New Orleans City Business on changes to the Affordable Care Act.

The restaurant industry could face difficulties complying with the ACA given the itinerant nature of its employees.

By 2016, businesses with more than 50 employees will be required to offer all full-time employees qualifying health insurance. Full-time employees are those who work more than 30 hours a week, according to the act’s definition.

“Discerning between part-time and full-time workers will be one of the bigger challenges for restaurants,” said Tabatha.

Waiters, for example, don’t always work a set amount of hours a week, she explained. There is also a lot of turnover in the industry, which can make it difficult for employers to track the number of full-time versus part-time staff they have on payroll.