RNC Research

New Mexicans Are Having Their Hours Cut Due To ObamaCare

“The International Foundation Of Employee Benefit Plans Reports That 16 Percent Of Employers Have Adjusted Or Plan To Adjust Hours So Fewer Employees Qualify As Full-Time.” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

A Manager Of A Restaurant In Mesilla, NM Has Had To Reduce Employee Hours To 30 Hours A Week. “‘You have to realize that businesses and business owners don’t pay taxes or employee insurance bills or the electric bill or anything else. The customers pay for everything a business buys,’ said Jerry Harrell, manager with the Double Eagle restaurant in Mesilla. ‘Just because you’re a business doesn’t mean you get a magic money tree.’ He said that for some businesses affected by the mandate, the only viable options are to cut hours and/or raise prices. Harrell said the Double Eagle has had to make work schedules rigid so they can plan who is working more than 30 hours and who is not.” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

• Under ObamaCare, The Restaurant Would Pay “Over $22,000 A Month.” “‘We can’t just not buy as much food and spend that money on health insurance,’ Harrell said. ‘The last rough quote I had to cover all the employees was over $22,000 a month. Where am I to get that money? The only money comes from customers, so I would raise prices.” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

An Employee Of A Polling Company Is Having His Hours Cut By 25 Percent. “Kirk Neff was succinct. ‘I don’t know what we’re going to do,’ the Las Crucen said. ‘I’m always keeping my eyes open.’ Neff has a job – he works the phones for a polling company – but recently learned he was going to be dropped from full-time to part-time employment as his employer adjusts costs ahead of the Affordable Care Act’s mandatory health care coverage. ‘I found out my hours were being cut by 25 percent,’ Neff said. ‘That’s 25 percent of my monthly income gone.’” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

• The Employee Blames “The Federal Government And ObamaCare” For Putting His Employer In The Position To Cut Hours. “As for Neff, he does not blame his employer. He said his company tried to find other solutions, but ultimately had to cut hours. Neff places blame with the federal government and Obamacare itself. Neff has applied for a permit for a rally and wants others to join him soon in a public protest. ‘I’m in a really bad mood,’ he said.” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

A Physical Therapy Technician Is Having Her Hours Cut Despite Having Her Own Insurance. “Michelle Daun Ortiz, a physical therapy technician, said she sees the writing on the wall. ‘I know that my hours are going to get cut but I don’t think that’s fair because I have my own health insurance,’ Ortiz said on the Sun-News Facebook page. ‘I don’t think it should affect people who have their own insurance outside of work.’” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)

ObamaCare Could Force A Restaurant To Increase Prices

An Italian Restaurant Not Impacted By ObamaCare’s Employer Mandates May Resort To Raising Prices As Costs Continue To Rise For Its Distributors. “Vince Vaccaro operates Lorenzo’s Pan Am Italian restaurant on University Avenue. He said that he employs fewer than 50 workers, but he is still feeling the effects of Obamacare’s employer mandate. ‘It’s affected some of my distributors,’ Vaccaro said. ‘They have been changing routes. Prices are going up.’” (Brock Stockberger, “Employers Cut Hours Year Ahead Of ObamaCare Employer Mandate,” Las Cruces Sun News, 1/20/14)