From the Wall Street Journal (I admit part of the reason I clicked this article is that 29er is a mountain bike term. Sadly that is not what it refers to here.)
Because other federal employment regulations also kick in when a firm crosses the 50 worker threshold, employers are starting to cap payrolls at 49 full-time workers. These firms have come to be known as “49ers.” Businesses that hire young and lower-skilled workers are also starting to put a ceiling on the work week of below 30 hours. These firms are the new “29ers.” Part-time workers don’t have to be offered insurance under ObamaCare.
via Review & Outlook: ObamaCare and the ’29ers’ – WSJ.com.
This seems to be a prime example of the law of unintended consequences, however the consequences seem pretty easy to predict to me.
Two important thoughts for dentists: As small business people we need to be aware of the 50 employee and 30 hour per week penalties.
Although the article does not mention it I believe another easy to predict unintended consequence will be the reduction in non-mandated coverage such as dental care.