SeaWorld to Cut Hours to Avoid Obamacare Mandate

SeaWorld, an Orlando theme park famous for its killer whale shows, confirmed Monday that they will join the growinglist of businesses that will be cutting employee hours likely to skirt regulations set by the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Part-time employees at SeaWorld are now limited to 28 hours of work per week, compared to the previous limit of 32 hours. The Affordable Care Act stipulates that all employees who work an average of 30 hours a week must be offered comprehensive health insurance.

While SeaWorld did not explicitly say that the law was the reason behind the new work limits, University of Central Florida Rosen College of Hospitality Management Professor Duncan Dixon said, “There is no other reason to change your cap from 32 hours to 28 other than (the Affordable Care Act).”

If SeaWorld did not limit part-time employee hours to less than 30 per week, the company would be subjected to a $3,000 fine per employee who was not offered insurance.

SeaWorld has already experienced a multitude of issues this year—bad weather conditions resulted in a drop in the number of visitors, and revenues were down compared to years past.

Shamu was unavailable for comment.