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What is a part-time worker?

A part-time worker is someone who works fewer hours than a full-time worker. There's no specific number of hours that makes someone full or part-time, but a full-time worker will usually work 35 hours or more a week.

Why you might choose to work part-time

The reasons for working part-time vary from individual to individual. It may be that you simply want to have a different work-life balance, or you may have caring responsibilities. If you're interested in changing your working patterns you might find it useful to read about flexible working.

• More about flexible working and the work-life balance

Employment rights of part-time workers

Part-time employees have the same statutory employment rights as other employees. You do not have to work a minimum number of hours to qualify for employment rights.

• Get a statement of your employment rights and responsibilities

Part-time workers and 'less favourable treatment'

According to the Part-time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations, part-timers must be treated at least as well as equivalent full-time workers, unless the reason why not can be objectively justified. An 'equivalent' full-time worker is one doing a similar job on the same type of contract.

The regulations include temporary staff such as agency and casual workers but part time agency workers can't compare themselves to full time permanent workers. The regulations don't stop employers giving better terms to part-timers, perhaps to encourage a more balanced workforce, but the employer will need to be sure that doing this is not against other discrimination laws.

• More about discrimination

Examples of how the regulations work

The regulations often mean that benefits must be 'pro-rata'. This means that they should be in proportion to your hours, so for example if a full-time worker gets a £1000 bonus, a part-time worker working half the number of hours should get £500.

Below are some examples of issues affected by the regulations. Remember that your employer can treat part timers less favourably (that is, they can break the rules set out below) If this is 'objectively justified' - what 'objectively justified' means is explained later.

Rates of pay

Part-time workers must get at least the same hourly pay rate as a full-timer doing a similar job.

If you're a part-timer, your employer can set the same hours threshold for enhanced overtime pay as for full timers, so you might not get overtime pay until you've worked more than the normal hours of a full-time worker.

• Overtime - find out more

Pension opportunities and benefits

Employers should not discriminate between full-time and part-time workers over access to pension schemes. Other company benefits (such as company cars, employee discounts, and health insurance) should be given pro rata if possible. If this is not possible then your employer will have to decide whether or not to offer the benefit to everybody.

Training and career development

Part-time workers mustn't be excluded from training and career development opportunities. Wherever possible, training must be organised at times that suit most workers, including part-timers.

Holidays

All workers have the right to a minimum amount of annual holiday. From 1 October 2007 the statutory minimum entitlement is 4.8 weeks holiday a year, based on your normal working week. For example, if you work:

Many employers give more than the statutory minimum amount of holiday. Under the regulations part-timers should be treated no less favourably; this normally means that a part time worker will get a pro rata proportion of what the full-time workers get.

Your employer can't round down the number of days given, because this would be unfavourable treatment, but fractions of a day might be given as hours.

Your employer can control when you take your holiday so they can make you take bank holidays from this entitlement when they coincide with your working days.

• Holiday entitlements - read more

Opportunities for career breaks

Some employers let employees take career breaks. If you're a part-time worker, you have the right to the same opportunities.

Sick pay, maternity, adoption and paternity leave and pay

Part-timers are entitled to the same rights to sick pay and maternity, paternity and adoption leave and pay, and parental leave as full-time staff. If companies give more than the statutory entitlement, part-timers must also get these contractual benefits.

• More about sick pay
• Read more about work and families

Selection for promotion and transfer, or for redundancy

Being part-time can't be used as a reason for selection for transfer or redundancy, or refusing a promotion, unless it can be justified objectively.

• More about redundancy rights

What 'objectively justified' means

The rules set out above can be broken where there is objective justification for doing so. This means that the employer has to show that the reason is necessary, and the right way to meet a genuine aim of the business. Part-time workers can't be treated less favourably just because they are part-time.

It may not be possible to pro-rate some benefits to part-timers (for example, complementary health-club membership). In this situation your employer would have to decide either to give the benefit to both full and part time staff or (if there was objective justification - for example if the costs outweigh the benefit) not to give part time workers the benefit.

Where to get help

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues. You can call the Acas helpline on 08457 47 47 47 from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm Monday to Friday.

• Acas (opens new window)

The Labour Relations Agency (LRA) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues for residents of Northern Ireland. You can contact the LRA on 028 9032 1442 from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm Monday to Friday.

• Labour Relations Agency (opens new window)

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide free and impartial advice. You can find your local CAB office in the phone book or online.

• Find your local Citizens Advice Bureau (opens new window)

If you are a member of a trade union, you can get help, advice and support from them.

• Introduction to trade unions

More useful links

• Part-time workers regulations - detailed guidance from the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (opens new window)
• Find out about working part-time after you retire (Money, tax and benefits section)
• Information about tax on casual, part-time or temporary work (Money, tax and benefits section)
• Advice for employers about employing part-time workers from Business Link (opens new window)
• Advice for employers in Northern Ireland about employing part-time workers from nibusinessinfo (opens new window)