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Restaurant organizations urging return to 40-hour full-time definition

Returning to a traditional 40-hour definition would benefit employees through more hours and income, say trade organizations.

September 19, 2014

Organizations representing employers and employees are urging congress to restore the definition of a full-time work week to 40 hours.

The More Time for Full-Time initiative, which includes the International Franchise Association, the National Restaurant Association, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the National Retail Federation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the American Rental Association, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, the National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Grocers Association, and the National Association of Theatre Owners, will highlight the negative impact the 30-hour work week definition in the Affordable Care Act has on employees and employers, and urges Congress to restore the traditional definition of a full-time employee to 40 hours per week through bipartisan reform.

Returning to a traditional 40-hour definition would benefit employees through more hours and income, and employers would gain the ability to focus on growth and expansion instead of restructuring their workforce, the organizations said in a joint press release.

The launch includes a video, which will be featured on the new website moretimeforfulltime.org, that highlights the challenges workers and employers face as a result of the 30-hour work week definition.

"As the nation's second largest private sector employer, restaurants provide opportunity to a workforce of over 13.5 million employees," NRA CEO Dawn Sweeney said in the release. "The restaurant and foodservice industries are attractive to millions of Americans looking for flexible work schedules. As the current health care law stands, the artificially low bright line of 30 hours as full time, forces employers to limit that flexibility, stifling opportunity for expansion and job creation to the detriment of our workforce. Raising the law's definition of full-time employee status to more traditional standard operating practices will alleviate the burden placed on restaurant operators. They can then continue to provide flexibility to their employees, grow their businesses and continue to be job creators."