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The Daily Insight

What does FTE 100% mean?

Author

Andrew Ramirez

Published Feb 09, 2026

What is 100% FTE? A 100% FTE is the same as a 1.0 FTE — it may point to one person working a full-time schedule or several people fulfilling the duties of 1 full-time position. In one company, a full-time schedule may be 40 hours per week. In another, it may be 37.5 hours per week.

What is the minimum number of eligible employees that a small employer can have?

The ACA, as amended, defines a small employer for this purpose as an employer having at least one but no more than 50 or 100 employees (states have the discretion to expand their small group markets to include employers with 51 to 100 employees).

What is the minimum number of employees needed for a small employer medical expense plan?

To qualify for a QSEHRA, a small employer generally must: Have fewer than 50 full-time employees. Provide the arrangement on the same terms to all full-time employees (reimbursement amounts may only vary based on age and the number of individuals covered)

How many employees do you need for Cobra?

20 employees
COBRA generally applies to all private-sector group health plans maintained by employers that have at least 20 employees on more than 50 percent of its typical business days in the previous calendar year. Both full- and part-time employees are counted to determine whether a plan is subject to COBRA.

How are FTEs calculated for a small business?

The employer’s FTEs would be calculated as follows: 10,400 hours for the five employees paid for 2,080 hours (5 x 2,080) 3,120 hours for the three employees paid for 1,040 hours (3 x 1,040) 2,080 hours for the one employee paid for 2,300 hours (lesser of 2,300 and 2,080) The total hours counted is 15,600 hours.

What’s the average FTE for a full time employee?

An easy way to remember FTE is that it’s the typical full-time hours a full-time employee would be working in that firm. For example, if full-time employees in your company work 40 hours a week, then a .5 FTE position or employee in your company would be expected to average 20 hours a week (40 x .5 = 20).

Who is counted in FTEs and average wages?

See “Who is an employee for purposes of determining FTEs and average wages” for information on who may be counted in the FTE and average annual wage calculation. Q33. What about family members of the small business owner?

How are FTE’s calculated under the Affordable Care Act?

You have 2.63 full-time equivalent employees. In the context of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), FTE’s are calculated in a specific way. This calculation of the number of an employer’s FTEs is used for determining whether an employer is an Applicable Large Employer, for several purposes: Employer Shared Responsibility provisions.