Retailers group backs repeal of employer mandate

A leading retail group is backing congressional Republican efforts to repeal key provision in President Obama's healthcare law that requires most employers provide benefits to their workers. 

The National Retail Federation (NRF) wrote two letters this week to House and Senate sponsors supporting their recently introduced legislation saying the repeal will "greatly aid the retail community, which is heavily dependent on labor," wrote David French, NRF's senior vice president. 

"One of every four jobs in the American economy is supported by retail, which would be jeopardized by the mandate effective in 2014," French wrote. 

NRF argues that the employer mandate is already stifling job growth because businesses are concerned about rising costs. 

The group has argued that increased employment costs brought on by the employer mandate will force some companies to reduce the size of their payrolls and discourage small companies in particular from growing to the 50-employee threshold. 

Companies with at least 50 employees that don't offer healthcare benefits or face fines.

While the group says it is help retailers prepare for implementation of the healthcare law there are still “myriad concerns and objections to” the law, French said.



French sent letters this week to Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) and Senate Finance Committee ranking member Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). 

"The employer mandate is a drag on our economy, forcing too many of our nation’s job creators to stop hiring and grow their businesses in order to comply with this onerous provision in president’s health law," Hatch said in a statement when he introduced his bill Feb. 28. 

"Instead of letting the federal government dictate how employers should allocate resources, let's repeal this job-killing mandate and let businesses get back in the business of hiring," Hatch said. 

The Senate measure has 28 Republican cosponsors.