The House of Representatives recently approved the Save American Workers Act of 2015 (H.R. 30), a bill that would increase from 30 to 40 the number of hours an employee must work per week to be considered “full-time” under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The number of employees that are considered full-time under the ACA is important for determining whether the employer meets the 50-employee threshold that would trigger the law’s pay-or-play shared responsibility mandate. Critics of the ACA’s 30-hour-per-week definition have claimed it will encourage employers to reduce employee hours and/or hiring in order to remain below the pay-or-play mandate floor. Critics of the Save American Workers Act contend that more workers will lose jobs and benefits by being cut from 40 to 39 or fewer hours than by being cut from 30 to 29 or fewer hours. While changing the definition has received some bipartisan support, the bill still must clear a Senate hurdle and survive the President’s threatened veto. More Information