Spencer Soper

Bloomberg

Amazon.com Inc.-owned Whole Foods Market is changing medical benefit eligibility requirements next year that could leave as many as 1,900 part-time workers without coverage.

Employees will have to work at least 30 hours a week to qualify for a healthcare plan beginning Jan. 1, up from the current eligibility requirement of 20 hours, the company said in an emailed statement. The change will affect just under 2% of the chain’s workforce, Whole Foods said.

“We are providing team members with resources to find alternative healthcare coverage options, or to explore full-time, healthcare-eligible positions starting at 30 hours per week,” a company spokesperson said via email.

The news was reported earlier by Business Insider.

It’s the latest change to the grocery store chain since Amazon purchased it in 2017 to increase its share of the grocery market and make a big push into brick-and-mortar retail.