Wal-Mart Scaling Back Health Care Benefits for Employees

Last week, Wal-Mart Stores announced that it is reducing health care benefits for part-time employees and raising premiums for many full-time staff members in 2012 by as much as 40%. Citing rising costs, company officials added that all future part-time workers who work fewer than 24 hours weekly no longer will qualify for any health insurance plans. The announcement marks a significant shift for Wal-Mart, which several years ago expanded coverage and agreed to offer health insurance to part-time employees after a year of employment.

• "Wal-Mart Cuts Some Health Care Benefits" (Greenhouse/Abelson, New York Times, 10/20).