As I write this, I know the jobs report says unemployment is decreasing just a little bit (hey, its better than going up!). But, I struggle with those reports as they ignore the quality of the jobs people are getting. Far too many people are working part time jobs, in many cases multiple part time jobs. In talking to various people, a lot of us are questioning why people can't get over 24 hours a week. I think I have the answer.
An acquaintance of mine is working part time the same approximate 24 hours a week mentioned above. Recently he was asked if he wanted some extra hours. Wanting the hours and pay and also to show he was a team player, he agree. Later when the schedule came out, he still had 24 hours that week!! In talking to his supervisor, he was told that if they let him get over 24 hours, Obama Healthcare regulations would kick in. I am not well versed in the particulars of Obama Health Care and I don not want this to turn into a political war but it amazes me that the government is trying so hard (supposedly) to create jobs for people (voters) and they have these regulations that are keeping people from getting a Decent job!
So the current situation is employers are hiring people but only for 24 hours a week. BUT they want you to be available 24 hrs a day, 7 days a week. They don't care if you have a second job (as if anybody can survive on 234 hours a week) but THEY want to be top priority over the other employer!!
Meanwhile I myself work 40 hours week at a seasonal job 4 days a week (no benefits, its seasonal) and approximately 18 hours week the other three days (until they cut hours about two weeks ago!!). Again, no benefits.) OK, there is a heath care plan for PT employees but ask anybody that cares about heath care and is PT and they will tell you PT health care plans are worth the paper they are written on - high deductibles, low coverage.
Bottom line, the corporations have made an end run around the health care plan and have circumvented it and in the process kept people from getting a decent job. We have better heath care options when there was no government heath care.
Solution: Fix or eliminate the health care plan but as is it is killing this country. It is keeping people from getting jobs (decent ones at least).
While I don't think Obama care is perfect, I think you might be being lied to. Most of the bill doesn't kick in until 2014. If your employer is blaming that bill for you lack of hours, he is lying.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your input but all I can report is what this person (family member) reported to me. I suspect a lot is being laid on the Health Care plan that is in actuality not related to it but is merely being used as an excuse and this sounds like one of those incidents. But in the end, whether it is actually the Health Care plan or merely an excuse by employers to keep from giving employees a fair wage and proper benefits, it remains a sad commentary on the general way business are treating employees.
ReplyDeleteI can testify to the fact that far too many people are being limited to part time jobs with benefits such as health care that are woefully inadequate. Employers have learned that can run their businesses on a large number of part time employes and not have to provide benefits. The sad part is that some of these companies are large companies that you wouldn't suspect would treat their employees this way. I work at a major retail department store nation wide chain and the family member that reported the incident to me is at a large grocery chain.
Again thank you for your input.