Wendy's Cuts Employee Hours To Evade ObamaCare; Asking To Lose Business?

It appears one Nebraska Wendy's franchisee is taking a play from the Red Lobster book and choosing to freeload off the government for employee health care (which would be totally cool if we had Medicare-for-all and they had payroll taxes to pay regardless, but I digress) by reducing all non-management employees to 28 hours or less. From WOWT News:

A fast-food chain is slashing employee hours so franchise owners don't have to pay health benefits. Around 100 local Wendy’s workers have learned their hours are being cut. A spokesperson says a new health care law is to blame.

“Thirty-six to 37 hours a week.” That's how many hours T.J. Growbeck works at the 84th and Giles Wendy's restaurant. The money he earns helps him pay for the basics, but that’s not the case for all his co-workers. “There are some people doing it trying to get by.”

The company has announced that all non-management positions will have their hours reduced to 28 a week. Gary Burdette, Vice President of Operations for the local franchise, says the cuts are coming because the new Affordable Health Care Act requires employers to offer health insurance to employees working 32-38 hours a week. Under the current law they are not considered full time and that as a small business owner, he can't afford to stay in operation and pay for everyone's health insurance.

Health care wise, it's not an entirely bad deal for the employees -- they'll still get low-cost insurance through the exchanges -- but it does represent freeloading by Gary -- whose franchise won't be paying the $2,000/employee penalty payment as these are part-time employees at 28 hours or less -- and so his employees will get the health care to stay well through the exchanges without their main employer contributing a dime.

But, life is about more than just health insurance, and losing hours at an already low-wage job could just mean deeper poverty for many of the unlucky employees:

There are 11 Wendy's restaurants in the metro. “It has a huge effect on me and pretty much everybody that I work with,” says Growbeck, who understands the reasoning and says other part-timers at other fast-food restaurants are facing the same problem. “I'm hoping that I can get some sort of promotion because then I would get my hours, but everybody is shooting for that because of the hours being cut.”

You can contact Gary here:

Wendy's
5056 S 108th Street
Omaha, NE 68137-2314
Phone: (402) 593-1419

Or let Wendy's national office know you disapprove of this franchisee's behavior here:

Wendy's Consumer Relations - United States
Wendy's International, Inc.
One Dave Thomas Blvd.
Dublin, OH 43017

Phone: (614) 764-3100, x132032

News Media Inquiries
Denny Lynch
Senior Vice President, Communications
One Dave Thomas Boulevard
Dublin, OH 43017

Phone: (614) 764-3100

Chances are this greedy franchisee will get quite a bit of blowback and lost business. I can't say it's not well deserved.