Tip Tuesday! 4 keys to calculating full-time employees under Affordable Care Act

by Guest Author

Employers have 11 months to nail down just how many full-time employees they have before Obamacare’s employer mandate kicks in. The problem is, the law’s formula is tricky. To help with the math, 15-year benefits compliance vet Sheryl Southwick has some advice for employers.

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Under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) shared responsibility provision, a large employer (who employs at least 50 full-time equivalent employees on average) must offer affordable medical coverage to at least 95% of its full-time equivalent employees and their dependent children age 26 or younger — or face stiff penalties.

But who exactly is a “full-time equivalent employee?” Under the ACA rules, generally an employee is considered full-time if he or she is reasonably expected to work on average at least 30 hours per week, or 130 hours per month. Variable hour and seasonal employees may also be considered full-time under the new ACA rules.

With the employer mandate in full effect, here are four steps you should take to determine how many of your employees are considered full-time under the law and otherwise comply with the employer mandate:

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