Republicans have targeted the 30-hour workweek insurance mandate. The new majority in Congress is seeking to return the average workweek to 40 hours.
Critics say the 30-hour mandate increases costs for employers forcing them to cut hours or cut employees. The argument is best demonstrated by Ivy Tech, an Indiana community college. Ivy Tech president Thomas Snyder testified before the House Ways and Means Committee in January 2014.
"I want to highlight a couple of serious issues related to the 30-hour rule," Snyder said. "The Affordable Care Act has caused us to reevaluate teaching hours for our adjunct faculty. We’ve done this with very limited guidance."
"Like most community colleges, our funding does not provide any large unfunded mandate such as the ACA 30-hour rule. The annual impact on us would be ten to twelve million dollars. "
Due to the 30-hour rule, Ivy Tech was forced to cut hours for adjunct professors because they could not afford the new mandates. With adjuncts working under 30 hours, the school sought to hire more professors to make up for the gap but was unsuccessful in certain subject areas, leading to canceled classes.
Watch Ivy Tech President Tom Snyder's testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee on Jan. 28, 2014: