The international clothier is being accused of cutting its employees hours to avoid facing its employer responsibilities under ObamaCare.
Benefits have long been part of the employment climate in Canada, but US employers are facing a sudden change as US healthcare laws change to insure more Americans.
The company, known for its expensive denim and velour track suits, has reportedly made most employees at the company’s flagship store on in New York part time, limiting them to a maximum of 21 hours a week.
Employee Duane and former employee Darrell claim the company has reduced all but a few employees to the part time work so the company can avoid having to offer health insurance to their workers — under the Affordable Health Care Act, employees who work 30 hours or more are eligible to receive health care benefits. Adding to the employee’s suffering is a company clause requiring staff to work more than 1400 hours a year to qualify for sick leave – an objective that is impossible to meet on a 21-hour-a-week schedule.
“Darrell and I are just two of the full-time employees that have been forced out of Juicy Couture,” Duane wrote on his Retail Action Project petition. “Now we’re speaking out on behalf of my coworkers who remain at the store, because we all deserve Just Hours.”
While the Affordable Care won’t go into effect until January 2014, many companies are reportedly taking action now to avoid these obligations.
Duane and Darrell hoped customer awareness could encourage the company to change its policy, writing: “We know from experience that Juicy has loyal customers and dedicated employees — if enough of us speak out and demand Just Hours, they’ll have no choice but to act.”
