Discriminatory Treatment of Employee Hours – Story

Sunmitted by family member. Employee has worked “part time” 40 hours a week for Kroger Fuel Center for more than three years. Their Full-line (grocery employees) are considered “full-time” if they work more than 20hrs a week, including their store managers. The “full-time” employees are offered the equivalent of a Silver plan on the marketplace. They pay either $5.00 or $6.00 a week, depending on what year they are hired. They have steadfastly refused to offer insurance to any of the employees at their more than 2000 Kroger Fuel Centers across the country. Now that the government is forcing their hand, the Fuel Center Employees are only being offered a Bronze 60/40 plan, and they are required to remit $20.66 weekly on their own(instead of the $5.00 or $6.00 weekly payment deducted from the other employees paychecks). If you request full-time, you are immediately threatened with hours being cut “effective immediately”. I find this difference in treatment discriminatory. It is also important to note that Kroger is one of the largest retailers in the country; and boasts on all it’s media about the charity and underpriviledged they help support. Isn’t there some type of “Cadillac ” provision to prevent employers from discriminating against a certain group of employees? Now that a “plan is offered”; however bad it may be, these employees are not eligible for subsidies through the marketplace, because “their out of pocket” portion is just under the radar. I think this is criminal!