The Affordable Healthcare Act, commonly called Obamacare, looks like it will eliminate all benefits for future part-time employees with the city of McMinnville.
The change is among those under consideration by city officials.
“We had to take some of the benefits from part-time employees due to the Affordable Healthcare Act,” said human resource administrator Jennifer Rigsby. “We had to do that so we are not required to offer them healthcare benefits.”
According to Rigsby, anyone who works an average of 30 hours a week per year has to be provided the same insurance as employees working full time, and their premiums cannot be more than 9.5 percent of their yearly wage for single coverage.
At this time, the city has no employees that will be affected by the change and there will be none in the future.
“We don’t have any employees at the moment that fall into the category,” said Rigsby.
One former employee met the category, says city administrator David Rutherford.
“We had one employee, who is no longer with us, that fell into this category,” Rutherford said. “Seasonal does not qualify as part-time regarding Affordable Healthcare. For the last three months, we haven’t worked anyone more than 24 hours as a part-time employee.”
Other changes include:
• Employees removed from work by their physician due to medical reasons must be released back to work by the same physician.
“We don’t want one doctor taking them out and another doctor putting them back in,” said Rigsby.
• Fire Department personnel with 25 years of service with the city of McMinnville shall upon retirement from the city be presented their badge and helmet.
“We’ve done that in practice, but it hasn’t been included in the personnel policy,” said Mayor Jimmy Haley.
The policy already allows retiring police offers with at least 25 years of service to the city to be presented their badge and handgun, with ownership of the handgun transferred from the city to the officer.
The Personnel Policy was unanimously accepted by Finance Committee members and will be considered by the Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Aug. 27.