Sooner or later, these right-wing corporations are going to learn the hard way. People do not like it when companies thumb their nose at the law and threaten to slash employees hours for the sole purpose of screwing them out of health care. After an Applebee's franchisee and Darden's restaurants felt the heat, you'd think they'd get a clue.
Alas, no. Regal Entertainment Group announced they were cutting employees' hours in order to deny them eligibility for health care under the Affordable Care Act. Fox News, of course, was quick to report this.
Regal Entertainment Group, which operates more than 500 theaters in 38 states, last month rolled back shifts for non-salaried workers to 30 hours per week, putting them under the threshold at which employers are required to provide health insurance. The Nashville-based company said in a letter to managers that the move was a direct result of ObamaCare.
“To comply with the Affordable Care Act, Regal had to increase our health care budget to cover those newly deemed eligible based on the law's definition of a full time employee.”
“In addition, some managers have requested guidance on what they should tell those employees negatively impacted and, at your discretion, we suggest the following,” read the memo obtained by FoxNews.com. “To comply with the Affordable Care Act, Regal had to increase our health care budget to cover those newly deemed eligible based on the law's definition of a full-time employee.”
“To manage this budget, all other employees will be scheduled in accord with business needs and in a manner that will not negatively impact our health care budget,” the message continues.
Fuck them and the horses they rode in on. Regal made billions last year, and they gave their CEO a hefty raise. I guess their health care budget allowed for a few extra million to fall into her pocket.
My reaction isn't unusual. Huffpost has an excellent sampling of Facebook posts from people letting Regal know their choice to screw employees forces a choice to stop spending money at their theaters.
I've grabbed a few more responses and posted them beneath the fold. In the meantime, pay their Facebook page a visit and let them know what you think of them. You'll feel better. I did.
A few more. There are many, many comments there. Be sure to add yours.
Regal owns both movie theater complexes out here where we live. Oh well, it was time to buy a Blu-Ray DVD player, anyway.
