Darden Restaurants Cut Workers' Hours to Avoid Paying Health Care Coverage

And the inevitable flood of unintended consequences begins.

Darden Restaurants has stopped offering full-time schedules to many hourly workers in a few of its Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse eateries.

Darden is reportedly taking the action to avoid the Affordable Care Act, which is scheduled to go into effect in 2014, reports Fox 35 (video below).

Under that law, also known as Obamacare, companies must provide affordable health insurance to employees working an average of at least 30 hours per week. Under that law, also known as Obamacare, companies must provide affordable health insurance to employees working an average of at least 30 hours per week.