Brevard County to cut back hours for some part-time employees

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Hundreds of part-time Brevard County workers could have their hours cut as the county prepares for the implementation of Obamacare.

By 2015, Obamacare will require the county to provide health care for anyone working more than 30 hours per week, which means lots of companies are cutting back the hours of part-time employees.

Brevard County has over 300 part-time workers, many of whom are in the library and parks systems.

While officials don't necessarily want to reduce hours for those employees, they'll be forced to unless the county wants to pay for full-time health benefits.

Health benefits for each of Brevard's part-time employees would cost about $10,000 per employee.

Supervisors are now being asked to determine if they should make some of those employees full-time or simply reduce their hours.

"I think for the most part we're going to maintain people in the status they were hired as part-time," said Brevard County Insurance Director Jerry Visco. "They're going to stay as part time and the rules just dictate to us how many hours are available to somebody in that status. So the hours will be capped at something less than 30 to keep them at part-time status."

Channel 9's Melonie Holt found about a third of Brevard's part-timers wouldn't qualify for the benefit because they average under 30 hours per week.

Visco said the county is no different from any other and that employers with 50 or more employees will have to comply with the new criteria.

The new part-time definition goes into effect in January 2015.

WFTV