Companies with Part-Time Workforces Gird for Health Cost Increases

Companies with large part-time employee populations are expecting higher increases in health plan costs due to the Affordable Care Act, and some are planning to change workforce strategies to avoid expensive coverage requirements.

Nearly half of employers in the retail and hospitality services spaces, which have the largest numbers of part-time workers, are now expecting costs to rise by at least 3% in 2014 because of the new law, according to a survey from benefits adviser Mercer on Wednesday.