Red Lobster/Olive Garden Sticking With Full-Time Employees

Image via Flickr/sjsharktank

The Darden Group, which owns chains Red Lobster and The Olive Garden, has announced it will not be cutting full-time employees to skirt Obamacare mandates that will begin in 2014. After a series of tests, the company ruled that it will not be dropping employees to part-time status, stating, "What that taught us is that our restaurants perform better when we have full-time hourly employees involved." Statements made by other big food businesses such as Papa John's that hinted at finding "loopholes" to avoid Obamacare payouts have been met with significant backlash, so this latest Darden announcement may be as much about avoiding negative press than anything else. [via AP]