Staples Threatens To Fire Part Timers Who Work More Than 25 Hours A Week
[su_center_ad]It is, of course, to avoid providing health care.
Last year Alice*, 19, typically clocked anywhere from 25 hours to 40 hours a week at the Staples store where she works as a part-time staffer. The hours were great, she says, because she loves her co-workers and uses the job to help support her family.
She started working at Staples around the same time the office-supply chain was making headlines by forbidding its part-time employees from working more than 25 hours a week. The rules, rolled out in the lead-up to the Affordable Care Act, were seen by many staff members as an effort by the company to avoid paying benefits to “full-time” employees — classified under the law as anyone working more than 30 hours a week.
But for most of 2014, the rules didn’t really affect Alice or her colleagues, who regularly exceeded the threshold and were still considered part-time. That all changed this year, though, as the employer mandate kicked in; if Staples doesn’t pay benefits for people working more than 30 hours a week, it could face up to $3,000 in penalties per person.
Now, Alice is working far fewer hours — and if she clocks above 25, she may be fired.[su_center_ad]
fancypants February 10th, 2015 at 7:17 am
Ive had employers in the past who told me to go home early if I had over 40 hrs. during the week working full time.
one week I was told to go home at 2pm on a Thursday and don’t show up again until the following monday
rg9rts February 10th, 2015 at 9:35 am
People that never had a job,like red eye robot, don’t realize that that is how the system works
fancypants February 10th, 2015 at 11:46 pm
it didn’t always used to be that way but I guess that means ive been working too long ?
rg9rts February 11th, 2015 at 1:49 am
retail has always been in the forefront of knowing how to play the game of how to screw the worker..
fancypants February 12th, 2015 at 11:56 am
a close 2nd to the steel industry and a few white & blue collar jobs that were farmed out of this country. Give it time Our elected on working on how to shop retail at home
rg9rts February 12th, 2015 at 12:34 pm
Drones …lots and lots of drones
Red Eye Robot February 10th, 2015 at 7:48 am
Isn’t obamacare great! Forcing companies to limit worker hours. Overtime pay used to be considered gravy, especially for low wage unskilled workers in food service and retail. Now those workers are not only NOT getting the the overtime that helped them get ahead, they won’t be getting the healthcare Obama promised,and they are seeing their hours cut Many will be making less working 2, 25 hour a week jobs than working 1, 40 hour job with 10 hours overtime.
OldLefty February 10th, 2015 at 8:01 am
Forcing companies to limit worker hours.
______
“FORCING”????
Don’t be silly. They could just give their employees the hours, pay them and cover them….
You know like they did when we were growing the middle class that became the envy of the world?
What was the excuse BEFORE “Obamacare”???
What is the excuse for the owners of mines firing workers if basic mine safety laws are enforced?.
But that’s why you need to support ;
The Presidential Memorandum instructs the Secretary of Labor to update regulations regarding who qualifies for overtime protection. In so doing, the Secretary shall consider how the regulations could be revised to:
Update existing protections in keeping with the intention of the Fair Labor Standards Act.
Address the changing nature of the American workplace.
Simplify the overtime rules to make them easier for both workers and businesses to understand and apply.
Anyone who is not in favor of that has no credibility.
And, yes.
Short of single payer, the ACA IS great.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 8:21 am
Exactly. ACA is not forcing employers to cut anyone’s hours. The employers choose to keep them as part time, without benefits, to avoid reducing profits, thereby keeping shareholders happy, thereby keeping the board members and executives in their jobs, which are decidedly not part time, and have lots and lots of benefits. The ACA is not perfect, but compared to its predecessor, it’s great.
OldLefty February 10th, 2015 at 8:26 am
Absolutely!
They made the same threats when they were told that they could no longer pay workers with company “money” that was only good in the company store.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 8:29 am
This is no different from the Robber Barons that existed before unions were invented.
OldLefty February 10th, 2015 at 8:37 am
I agree.
That’s EXACTLY what they want to go back to.
Dwendt44 February 10th, 2015 at 12:44 pm
These are the same corporations that often have a large excess of vice presidents, senior staff positions, and hangers on.
fahvel February 10th, 2015 at 9:59 am
I have single payer and it is unequivocally the best care one can have – cost and service. The usa is a dinosaur when it comes to respecting the rights of all its citizens.
Obewon February 10th, 2015 at 9:05 am
28 million ACA buyers in 2014 expands to 29.4 M in 2015 ‘reducing federal deficits $1.5 T+’-CBO! In NY 2013’s $1000+ per month HC dropped 70% to $308 per month in 2014 before any subsidies.
FINAL 2014 QHPs (as of 11/14/14): 6.7M Current / 8.4M PAID / 9.6M Total TOTAL: 6.7M Exchange QHPs
8.0M Off-Exchange QHPs
10.7M Medicaid/CHIP
2.0M assorted. http://acasignups.net/
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 9:11 am
Don’t confuse trolls with facts.
rg9rts February 10th, 2015 at 9:34 am
But he is my favorite moron.
fahvel February 10th, 2015 at 9:57 am
find a better word than favorite -it has a positive conotation in english.
fahvel February 10th, 2015 at 9:56 am
why be logical and factual with tin men with dull fading bloodshot eyes?
rg9rts February 10th, 2015 at 9:33 am
Moron…retail has been doing that for decades…of course since YOU never held down a job…how would you know
fahvel February 10th, 2015 at 9:56 am
are you really as big an idiot as you present yourself to be? For decades and decades unions and employers either paid all or most health care coverage – and then along came the right wingbats and after they reinstatement of opportunity they work like sobs to avoid providing anything for the employee – and one wonders why the usa does not produce well -but, like a good sex worker, the people provide pleasure and joy to them that has.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 10:46 am
The answer to your question, from lots of evidence, is yes.
Leannie February 10th, 2015 at 11:06 am
Nobody is Forcing companies to limit worker hours…they are choosing to cut hours in an effort to avoid responsibility to their employees. Offering benefits will not bankrupt Staples….people not shopping there will.
Dwendt44 February 10th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
Cutting hours and having a staff of largely part timers has been a growing trend for decades. Reaganomics focused on the greed of business and corporate big shots at the expense of the workers that actually made the products and services. We are still suffering under that nonsense. Even George Bush (the elder) called it Voodoo economics.
tracey marie February 10th, 2015 at 4:25 pm
or, outside of baggerville greedy corporations want more for them and none for their workers
Obewon February 10th, 2015 at 8:59 am
The cheapest Staples, & Wal*Mart sweatshops take advantage of part time workers denying their slaves all but Federal HC.gov, food stamp & Medicare benefits paid by taxpayers until $15 per hour minimum wage elevates these workers into self sufficiency.
After Sales Plummet, Walmart Realizes It Can’t Run Stores On Temps Alone! 9/24/2013. Over the next few months, the company will move 35,000 part-time workers to full-time, and another 35,000 temporary workers will become part-time staff.
After the Affordable Care Act kicked in January 1, 2014, Walmart’s new full-time employees will be eligible for health insurance after 90 days, a vast improvement on the retailer’s usual 6-month waiting period. To qualify for benefits, part-time staff must work an average of 30 hours a week for a year. http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2013/09/24/2669191/walmart-adds-fulltime-workers/
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 9:01 am
And WalMart still profits hugely when their own employees use their food stamps at WalMart.
Obewon February 10th, 2015 at 9:09 am
Exactly! When GOP cut food stamp payments Wal*Mart cited the drop in SNAP benefits as the prime cause of their 4% net income losses.
Dwendt44 February 10th, 2015 at 12:35 pm
Of course, the company insurance is so expensive, employees will almost have to find an ACA plan.
rg9rts February 10th, 2015 at 9:31 am
Why not fire the managers???They are the ones making the schedules…I’ve yet to work anyplace that just let you make up your own hours…..any one else have a job like that??
Pilotshark February 10th, 2015 at 10:34 am
Didn`t staples just buy Office depot?
so it seems a whole lot more people are going to be taken advantage of.
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 10:45 am
I think the other way around. After Office Depot and Office Max merged, they got bigger than Staples. But that’s just details. Stores will be closing, as most people either shop online at Amazon, or go to WalMart or Target. Just as with Radio Shack and Sears/KMart, in five years there won’t be any office supply big box stores.
Pilotshark February 10th, 2015 at 1:20 pm
Though i seen that.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-04/staples-to-buy-office-depot-in-deal-valued-at-6-3-billion
Larry Schmitt February 10th, 2015 at 3:07 pm
I had heard it reversed a few days ago. As I said, it’s just details.
Pilotshark February 10th, 2015 at 1:21 pm
think the big box stores will become big box warehouses, given you the option of home delivery or pick up.
Doogie Howitzer February 10th, 2015 at 11:04 am
This is going to result in employees having to work “off the clock.”
Managers tell workers what needs to be done. They also pass out this memo. The logistics of it is that managers will tell workers, “you now need to clock out” but they won’t be told to go home until this is stocked or that is cleaned. That’s what they’ve created….. “part time slavery.”
What’s strange is the idea of a designation between full time and part time employees in terms of “a hire.” That is, how does a company decide, “we’ll hire this person” as a part time employee and intend to keep them part time? At what point and under what circumstances does an employee deserve to be officially full time? I guess the question is, what makes management decide to convert an employee from part time to full time, besides some quota and some upper limit that are on some managers’ spreadsheet who have never spent a full week on the sales floor. They’re sad.
Foundryman February 10th, 2015 at 11:58 am
Forcing the employees to do the work of an eight hour shift in 5 hours while cutting their pay will make Staples one store I will never go to, that much I know for sure.
whatthe46 February 10th, 2015 at 2:52 pm
agreed
Red Eye Robot February 11th, 2015 at 2:25 am
People, you’re looking at this all wrong. These workers are being “LIBERATED” from job lock, now they will be free to pursue their passions, have more time to tuck their kids in at night.
burqa February 11th, 2015 at 3:12 am
No way.
First, in the red states they need to work more hours because they need the money, seeing’s how red states have lower wages than blue states.
In the blue states they need to work more hours because blue states subsidize red states that return less in tax revenue than they receive from the treasury.
Tell me where I’m wrong!
Hey Gary, any chance you can get Eric to log on, too?
He could be Red Eye Bills Fan.