Change said to stem from worker dissatisfaction

Part-time workers for Apple will soon have the same medical benefits as full-time ones, sources say. Equal insurance is expected to become available in January, and apply to anyone working 15 or more hours a week, so long as a person also has at least a year of Apple experience. The company has approximately 9,900 part-time workers at retail, a large percentage of which should be covered by the new policy.

The change is said to have its origins in the unhappiness of part-time workers voiced during the past year. That resulted in the company circulating an internal survey, which determined benefits and insurance to be common complaints.

Apple is currently said to pay for as much as 65 percent of a full-time worker's insurance, a ratio which should extend to the part-time sphere. Plans at Apple cover a range of different relationship situations, from individuals and married couples to domestic and same-sex partners. The expansion of insurance to most employees could cost the company in excess of $80 million annually.

Complete medical coverage is rare for part-time workers in the US, many of whom have reduced benefits or none at all.

by MacNN Staff