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.