By now you should be aware of the various penalties that can be levied against employers for not providing health insurance to their full-time employees once the employer mandate takes full effect.
But are you aware of another liability contained in the Affordable Care Act – the whistleblower complaint?
The ACA prohibits an employer from discharging or in any manner discriminating or taking retaliatory action against any employee because the employee or an individual acting at the request of the employee has:
- Received a credit or a subsidy for purchasing health insurance coverage on a public exchange;
- Provided, caused to be provided, or is about to provide or cause to be provided to the employer, the federal government or the state attorney general, information regarding a violation of Title I of the ACA;
- Testified or is about to testify in a proceeding concerning an ACA violation. Or if they assisted or participated, or are about to assist or participate, in such a proceeding.
- Objected to, or refused to participate in, any activity, policy, practice or assigned task that the employee reasonably believes was in violation of any provision of the ACA.
The task of investigating whistleblower complaints is the responsibility of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employees that feel they’ve been wronged in terms of the ACA have 180 days to file an administrative complaint with the OSHA Whistleblower Directorate.
So far there have been no Department of Labor (DOL) administrative tribunals for an ACA whistleblower complaint. That’s not surprising since the employer mandate has partly taken effect only this year for employers with 100 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees.
While there have been no tribunals, the OSHA has received one complaint that was thrown out. Nonetheless, the complaint could be a reflection of what a complaint might look like in the future, after the employer mandate is fully implemented.
The case:
A woman employed as a “durational employee” by the Housing Authority of Columbus, Georgia, filed an ACA whistleblower complaint in August 2014.
She alleged that she was terminated in January 2014 – four months after she’d refused to sign and acknowledge that she understood “and agreed” with the terms of the company’s policy on health coverage for employees.
Those were laid out in a letter she’d received in September 2013, which stated that durational employees were ineligible for participation in the employer’s group health insurance plan and that only regular, full-time employees were eligible.
She said that after she had refused to sign, she received her first unsatisfactory performance evaluation and a significantly lower annual bonus based on the unsatisfactory review.
She alleged that adverse employment actions were the result of her refusal to accept the terms.
OSHA dismissed the complaint, on the grounds that it was filed to late – more than 180 days following the date of termination.
The woman appealed the decision to the DOL Office of Administrative Law, claiming that her complaint was timely because she had attempted, unsuccessfully, to file timely complaints within the 180-day limitations with other federal agencies, as well as with the White House.
But the administrative law judge threw out the complaint, saying the employer could not be held liable for retaliation prior to the effective date of the employer mandate.
The takeaway:
The case illustrates the most likely scenario under which an employee may gain ACA whistleblower protection after this year.
Other whistleblower complaints likely to surface in 2016 would concern complaints of adverse employment actions taken after an employer receives notice that one or more of its employees qualified for a tax credit or a subsidy for purchasing health benefits through a public exchange.
However, all complaints must be filed within 180 days of an adverse employment action.