FRAMINGHAM, Mass. –
Cumberland Farms will open its health insurance to more employees come October
1, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The convenience store chain will change 1,500
workers to full-time classification to make them eligible to participate in its
employer-sponsored health plan. Right now, 3,000 Cumberland Farm employees are
full time, with another 4,200 part time.
The retailer made the
change before the entire federal Affordable Care Act takes effect in 2014. The
act mandates that big companies have to give health insurance to any worker who
clocks an average of more than 30 hours weekly. Cumberland Farms indicated it
would make sure 4,500 of its workforce would be scheduled for 32 hours or more
weekly and offer health plans to them all.
“We could have pushed
everybody [now working] under 40 hours below 30,” said Ari Haseotes, president
and COO of the Cumberland Farms. “We're making a proactive effort here to go
above and beyond, and clearly differentiate ourselves in the job market as a
place to come to work.”
The company will decide
which workers will be reclassified in the coming months, looking at each
employee’s current work hours, among other factors. Some employees might wish
to stay part time, especially those who receive health insurance from other
sources, such as a spouse or parent. “Some of them may be working 25 or 20
hours a week, and they may want to continue to do that,” said Haseotes.