Disney Offers Full-Time to Park Staff as Obamacare Starts

[Rumors Rocks]

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...l-time-to-park-staff-as-obamacare-starts.html

Walt Disney Co. (DIS) is offering full-time positions to 427 part-time employees at Walt Disney World in Florida who worked enough hours to qualify for health benefits under the Affordable Care Act.

The offer was made to staffers who put in more than 1,500 hours in the past year, the threshold at which employers will be required to offer coverage, said Ed Chambers, president of the Service Trades Council, which represents 37,000 at Disney parks in Orlando. Other companies are reducing hours to avoid the mandate.

While Disney’s proposal is good for employees, it presents a dilemma for the six affected unions because some who qualify have less seniority than others in line for full-time jobs, Chambers said. Representatives of the unions, which operate under the Service Trades Council umbrella, are requesting more information from Disney and plan to meet again on Oct. 7.

“Disney wants to be proactive,” Chambers said yesterday in a telephone interview. “Disney is way out in front on this.”

Roughly 27,000 full-time employees at Walt Disney World get health-care benefits that meet the requirements of the act, Chambers said. Part-time workers who don’t qualify for coverage under the act get more limited benefits.

A spokeswoman for Walt Disney World in Florida had no comment.
Insurance exchanges designed to provide medical coverage to 48 million uninsured Americans began offering plans yesterday for service that would start Jan. 1. As the marketplaces opened, the U.S. government partially shut down for the first time in 17 years after Republicans sought to delay the law.
Employer Mandates

Companies across the U.S. have been reviewing their health plans in light of employer mandates that take effect in 2015. Individuals are required to sign up for coverage starting in January.

In August, United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS) said it will drop coverage for employed spouses, while Walgreen Co. last month told 160,000 workers they must buy insurance from a private exchange rather than have the company arrange their coverage.

SeaWorld Entertainment Inc. (SEAS), based in Orlando, last month reduced its cap on weekly hours for part-time employees to 28 hours next year from 32. The company said it will add full-time employees at its 11 parks next year. Those positions will include medical benefits, while part-time jobs won’t.
SeaWorld has about 22,100 employees, including about 4,400 full-time, according to a regulatory filing in May.

Disney, the world’s largest theme-park operator, advanced 0.5 percent to $64.83 yesterday in New York. Shares of the Burbank, California-based company have climbed 30 percent this year, compared with a 19 percent gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

seems a little credit is due...they could have taken the low road

 

[ParrotBill]

I agree.. seems like a more caring approach to its people than all the companies that slammed lids down on part time hours to limit their costs.

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

Well done Disney!

So many companies are cutting people to part time and full layoffs! Some unions are dropping part medical benefits! All people at the bottom of the income ladder and need the benefits the most!


AKK

 

[Suger Mag]

 

[3Gsandme]

Disney FTW.

But, that article isn't wholly accurate. The UPS will be dropping benefits for spouse's who have other benefit plans. It's not a whole scale dropping of benefits.

 

[Dannek]

seems a little credit is due...they could have taken the low road

The interesting thing to me is that they say that 27,000 employees at WDW get full time health insurance benefits...

Considering that there are over 56,000 employees at WDW, 427 seems like a drop on the bucket.

But hey it's a start, hopefully it will continue...

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) Before we applaud or condemn Disney, let's look at FACTS.
2) Disney has offered part-time insurance for a long time.
. . . a lot cheaper than full-time insurance coverage
. . . significantly less coverage than full-time employee can buy
3) As for offering certain part-time the full-time insurance
. . . this is not Disney philanthropy
. . . this is not at the behest or coaxing of the union
. . . this is THE LAW and Disney has no choice
. . . employees averaging over 30-hrs per week, MUST have FT insurance opportunity
. . . of course, if the employee can't afford or doesn't want the coverage, that is up to them

 

[wiigirl]

 

[mikek]

1) Before we applaud or condemn Disney, let's look at FACTS.
2) Disney has offered part-time insurance for a long time.
. . . a lot cheaper than full-time insurance coverage
. . . significantly less coverage than full-time employee can buy
3) As for offering certain part-time the full-time insurance
. . . this is not Disney philanthropy
. . . this is not at the behest or coaxing of the union
. . . this is THE LAW and Disney has no choice
. . . employees averaging over 30-hrs per week, MUST have FT insurance opportunity
. . . of course, if the employee can't afford or doesn't want the coverage, that is up to them

hate to be a cynic, and not making a judgement as many are doing similar, but..

also in regards to #3- basically they took ~400 employees who worked 30+ hrs and now guarantee them 40. Say they worked typically 32 hours, now they can take another 8 hours away from someone getting close to 30 so Disney avoids adding yet another to the insurance rolls.

Since they had no choice anyway they can now leverage those folks to avoid it for others...

 

[TheRustyScupper]

hate to be a cynic . . . basically they took ~400 employees who worked 30+ hrs and now guarantee them 40 . . .

1) Disney DOES NOT guarantee 40-hrs to hourly employees, union or non-union.
2) Full Time at Disney is 32 hrs/wk.
3) During slow times, MANY employees only get these hours.
4) The law says anyone working 30+ hours per week gets insurance opportunities.

NOTE: Disney work hours are very flexible.
. . . full time is 32 hours per week SCHEDULED WEEKLY AVERAGE
. . . Disney can force employees to work 14-continuous-days
. . . Disney can force employees to work 14-straight-hrs without notice

 

[mikek]

1) Disney DOES NOT guarantee 40-hrs to hourly employees, union or non-union.
2) Full Time at Disney is 32 hrs/wk.
3) During slow times, MANY employees only get these hours.
4) The law says anyone working 30+ hours per week gets insurance opportunities.

NOTE: Disney work hours are very flexible.
. . . full time is 32 hours per week SCHEDULED WEEKLY AVERAGE
. . . Disney can force employees to work 14-continuous-days
. . . Disney can force employees to work 14-straight-hrs without notice

sorry bad wording- my point is basically they can take those ~400 people and instead of having a ~30hr average they can push their average higher (even if it's just a couple hours) and that in effect can block someone out. Or whatever the math is- lol- since i obviously dont know. Point is giving some FT can help avoid adding even more.

My wife works part time for local government. We'd love if she could get full time or enough hours even to get insurance as with my plan we literally pay more for healthcare than housing. They wont allow my wife anywhere newar 30 hrs because of obamacare. But what's more, they did go ahead and hire a new FTE who 'manages ACA issues'- which if i read between the lines- this persons job is to monitor the part timers and ensure no one triggers 30 to avoid buying more bene's. That's local government so I'm sure a for profit company would do the same, and why not? "Dont hate the player. Hate the game"