The Walt Disney Company announced on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, that it will be offering full-time employment its some 427 part-time employees at the Walt Disney World Resort who work at least 30 hours per week, due to Obamacare.
The Affordable Care Act states that 30 hours per week is the threshold that requires employers with 50 or more workers to offer basic health benefits to employees or risk paying a $2,000 per employee fine after the first 30 employees.
A number of businesses have used Obamacare as an excuse to cut its employees’ hours and benefits. SeaWorld, UPS, and Papa Johns are just a few of them.
“Disney wants to be proactive,” said Ed Chambers, president of the Service Trades Council union that represents tens of thousands of Orlando Disney employees, in an interview with Bloomberg News. “Disney is way out in front on this.”
With Disney World making these employees into full-time workers, they give them the opportunity to not only make more money but also get full health care coverage.
“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… “Disney wants to be proactive. Disney is way out in front on this.”
You’ve got to admit that this is going to bring some really big-time media coverage to Disney, but it’s not like they need it. For as much media coverage as Disney will get, this is going to help so many more that are now getting a full-time position and now available to get health benefits.
There is no mistaking that Disney is truly helping a lot of people here. It’s an example that other large corporations should follow.
Blackmail works.