Epstein Becker Green's Peter M. Panken and Frank C. Morris, Jr. have authored a post on the Hospitality Labor and Employment Law blog entitled, "Loose Lips Sink Ships: New Liabilities Under The Affordable Care Act."
Following is an excerpt:
The Affordable Care Act ("ACA") requires larger employers (50 or more full time equivalents) to offer "affordable" "minimum value" health care to employees working thirty (30) or more hours per week or face the possibility of significant penalties in some cases. Thus the cost of staffing with part time employees may be far less than paying for health insurance for workers working 30 or more hours.
At the same time, ERISA Section 510 (29 USC Section 1140) prohibits discrimination against an employee "for exercising any rights to which he is entitled under the provisions of any employee benefit plan…or for the purpose of interfering with the attainment of any right to which such participant may become entitled under the plan…"
The full post can be accessed here.