Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a full-time employee is defined as someone who works, on average, 30 hours or more per week. This threshold is used primarily to determine whether an employer is required to offer health insurance to their employees under the Employer Shared Responsibility provisions of the ACA.
Here are some key points:
- 30 hours per week: Employees who work at least 30 hours per week (or 130 hours per month) are considered full-time for the purpose of the ACA’s employer mandate.
- Part-time employees: Those working fewer than 30 hours per week are generally considered part-time under the ACA.
Employers with 50 or more full-time employees (or equivalents) are required to offer affordable health coverage that provides minimum value to their full-time employees and dependents, or they may face penalties.
